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Latest News

Qualifying Offers Extended to Eight
Thursday, July 03, 2008

The Gwinnett Gladiators announced today the list of eight players that received qualifying offers for the 2008-09 season. By qualifying these players, the Gladiators now own the ECHL rights to them for the entire 2008-09 season. Each team was entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight Qualified Players. Of these eight Qualified Players, no more than four of the Qualified Players shall be Veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2008-09 season).

The Gladiators qualified the following eight players; Brad Schell, Lou Dickenson, Craig Kowalski, Jamie Milam, Jeff Mason, Jim Jackson, Jon Sitko and Jeff Campbell.

Schell was named the ECHL MVP during the 2006-07 season while leading the ECHL in scoring with 110 points with the Gladiators in 63 games. Schell notched 8 goals and 30 assists for the Gladiators in just 29 games last season. He joined Gwinnett midway through the season after recovering from an injury.

Dickenson finished second in scoring on the Gladiators last season with 62 points. His 28 goals were good for first last year on the Gladiators. The Orleans, Ontario native was twice called up to the AHL last season spending time with both the Hershey Bears and the Manitoba Moose.

Kowalski tied a career high for most wins in a season posting 29 with the Gladiators last year. He continued to improve on his ECHL career goaltending numbers increasing his save percentage to .923 while lowering his goals against average to 2.33. The Clinton Township, Michigan native finished with a 29-11-2 record and two shutouts for the Gladiators.

Milam finished ranked first in scoring among Gwinnett blueliners last year with 47 points off of 13 goals and 41 assists while appearing in all 72 games last year for Gwinnett. Milam represented the Gladiators in the 2008 ECHL All Star Game in Stockton, California.

Mason notched 5 goals and 15 assists for the Gladiators for 20 points in 70 games last season for Gwinnett. The Defenseman also recorded 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points in 8 Kelly Cup Playoff Games to lead Gwinnett blueliners in scoring in the post season.

Jackson, the all time games played leader in Gwinnett history appearing in 226 career Gladiators games, notched 10 goals and 4 assists for 14 points in 27 games with Gwinnett last year. Jackson spent time in the American Hockey League appearing in a combined 24 games with the Manitoba Moose and the Peoria Rivermen. He collected a goal and recorded 5 assists for 6 points in the AHL.

In his second season with the Gladiators, Sitko appeared in 36 games with the Gladiators. He finished the 2007-08 season with 2 assists and 35 penalty minutes.

Campbell was named the ECHL sportsman of the year last year as he led Gwinnett in scoring with 91 points as he set a new career best for points in a season. Campbell was also named ECHL MVP while with the Gladiators during the 2005-06 season posting 83 points and helping the Gladiators capture the American Conference Title and a berth in the Kelly Cup Finals.

Players will have until August 1 to accept a qualifying offer. Players on open Qualifying Offers cannot be traded. Teams were not required to protect players who signed a Standard Players Contract prior to July 1. Teams are not allowed to sign more than 24 players to contracts during the summer.

The Gladiators open the 2008-09 season in October of 2008. Season tickets for the 2008-09 season are on sale now. Log on to gwinnettgladiators.com or call the Gladiators office at 770-497-5100 for more information.

Began in 1988-89 with five teams playing in four states, the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 23 teams in 16 states and British Columbia playing 828 games from Oct. 17, 2008 to Apr. 4, 2009. Eighteen of the 23 teams have played at least five years in their current city.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,174 per game last season, marking the fourth year in row and the 16th time in the last 18 years that the league has averaged over 4,000 fans. The league has drawn over four million fans each of the last five years and 11 times in the past 12 seasons.

There have been 355 former ECHL players who have gone on to play in the NHL after playing in the ECHL, including 99 in the last three seasons. There have been 210 former ECHL players who have played their first game in the NHL in the past seven season.

The Gwinnett Gladiators open their sixth season as a proud member of the ECHL in October of 2008 - season ticket packages are on sale now. In addition, the Gladiators offer several unique multi-game ticket packages as well as discounted group rates, suite rentals, and birthday parties. For more information call 770-497-5100 or log on to gwinnettgladiators.com.

The Gladiators are the AA affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers and play all home games at the spectacular 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, where parking is always free.



Thrashers Prospect Camp Begins July 8th
Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The Atlanta Thrashers will hold their annual Prospect Development Camp at the team’s practice facility, the Duluth IceForum, from Tuesday, July 8 to Sunday, July 13. The camp, which will consist of 32 prospects, is designed to assist young players in their development both on and off the ice. All on-ice sessions are free and open to the public.

Among the players scheduled to attend the camp are two fowards and two defensemen that have previously played with the Gladiators. Chad Painchaud and Myles Stoesz will be in attendance in addition to Chad Denny and Scott Marchesi. Additionally, the camp will be attended by Zach Bogosian, the Thrashers first-round selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, and Vinny Saponari, who is the first Georgia born and trained player to be drafted into the NHL.

Thrashers Director of Amateur Scouting and Player Development Dan Marr will oversee the camp and Head Coach John Anderson will run practices with assistance from Chicago Wolves Assistant Coaches Wendell Young and Todd Nelson. Thrashers Strength and Conditioning Coach Ray Bear will conduct off-ice training and Wolves Skills Coach Kenny McCudden will direct all power skating sessions.

Players will be separated into groups at different points of the camp and will be available during the designated times. Please visit atlantathrashers.com for a list of times.

FORWARDS (19)
John Albert
Spencer Anderson *
Scott Bartlett *
Cody Crichton *
Jonas Enlund
Angelo Esposito
Mike Forney
Riley Holzapfel
Rylan Kaip
Nicklas Lasu
Niclas Lucenius
Spencer Machacek
Chad Painchaud
Danick Paquette
Vinny Saponari
Victor Saponari *
Matt Siddall *
Myles Stoesz
Mark Thorburn *

DEFENSEMEN
Zach Bogosian
Patrick Cusack *
Chad Denny
Arturs Kulda
Grant Lewis
Scott Marchesi *
Will O’Neill
Paul Postma
Zach Redmond

GOALTENDERS
Chris Carrozzi
Ryan Daniels *
Wylie Rogers *
Dan Rosen *

* - Denotes invitee who is not property of the Atlanta Thrashers






Free Gift with Online Merch Purchase
Monday, June 30, 2008

The Gwinnett Gladiators Merchandise Department has announced that every online purchase made during the month of July will not only be entered into a drawing to win a team autographed official Kelly Cup Playoff Tee from the 2007-2008 playoffs, but will also receive a free gift with purchase. Consider this little bonus gift as our way of saying thanks!

Please click here to browse the Gladiators online store.

Gifts will vary and are non-exchangable. For every online order completed, the buyer will receive one entry into a drawing for the autographed team shirt. Winner will be drawn and notified on August 1st, 2008.





Front Office Closed Thursday & Friday
Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Gwinnett Gladiators Front Office will be closed on Thursday, July 3rd and Friday, July 4th so that we may celebrate Independence Day with our families. If you were planning to stop by the office to purchase or renew season tickets, sign your child up for Kid’s Club, or bring us red, white, and blue cupcakes, please plan accordingly. Have a safe and fun 4th of July!!



Front Office Fridays: Doug Augis
Friday, June 27, 2008

You know the kid in high school that was super smart, but just cool enough to not sit in the very first seat in the row? He knew all the answers and knew enough to not sit in the front and raise his hand continually? (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course...) That’s Doug. Although, come to think of it, he was rocking the Duran Duran Circa 1984 mullet in high school, so maybe he wasn’t as cool we think he was? Either way - he’s shorn the locks and gained the street cred of having been in this business for quite some time. The experience Doug brings to his role as Director of Ticket Sales has been invaluable to the Gladiators organization over the past five years. The experience Doug brings to his role as office prankster and general rabble-rouser? Not so much...

You’re from New Jersey...other than your driving style, what’s the most Jersey thing about you?

The ’beach’ is not the ’beach’ - it’s the ’shore’. I love Taylor Pork Roll on a kaiser roll with a slice of American Cheese. While there are some decent pizza places here, there are none that compare to where I’m from; greasy and the best crust known to man. The Giants aren’t the NY Giants, they play in Jersey, I’m still waiting for them to correct the name. And yes, I know what exit off the Garden State Parkway I lived off of - 135.

Earlier this year, you went through the Van Halen Rescheduling Ridiculousness of 2008...now you’re being given the chance to organize your dream concert free of rehab commitments and conflicting personalities...what three acts are playing and at what venue?

1 - Stevie Ray Vaughn at Carnegie Hall
2 - The Beatles at Shea Stadium (despite my dislike of the Mets & Shea)
3 - Bon Jovi at Giants Stadium

Your oldest daughter, Kylie, is an adorable mini version of Doug, but with hair...is Mackenzie (who’s 14 months) beginning to show signs of your personality or your wife, Megan’s? And give us a cute kid story while you’re at it!

Mackenzie is definitely also turning into a little prankster - I guess leaning in my direction. She is starting to talk, not a ton of words, but a handful of "dada, daddy, look, sissy" and while she can definitely say "mama" and does, whenever my wife asks her to say it she gets a devilish grin on her face and says "dada" and laughs the best ’kid giggle’ ever. The best part is I had absolutely no part in her doing that; didn’t teach it to her.

You’ve been around the sports block, from the minors to the pros...take us through the Doug Augis “My Career in Professional Sports” timeline.

1995 - Burlington (NC) Indians (Class A - Short Season affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) - Intern: Groundskeeper, Player Shuttler, Ticket Salesperson
1996 - Durham Bulls (Class A affiliate of the Braves) - Ticket Sales Coordinator
1997-98 - Durham Bulls (AAA of the Tampa Rays) - Ticket Sales Manager/Box Office Manager
1998-2000 - Maryland Baseball (who at the time owned three Orioles affiliates, Bowie Baysox (AA), Frederick Keys (A) & Delmarva Shorebirds (A) as the Director of Database Management for all three clubs
2000-2001 - Maryland Baseball/Aberdeen Arsenal (Independent Baseball) - Assistant General Manager
2001-2002 - Comcast Spectacor/Bowie Baysox (AA) - Director of Ticket Sales
2002-2004 - Atlanta Hawks - Director of Corporate Ticket Sales
2004-Now - Your Gwinnett Gladiators as Director of Ticket Sales
[whew.]

If you weren’t Doug Augis, Ticket Sales Guru, what would you be? Dream job, realistic job...all of ‘em.

My dream job is to be drummer for the next Led Zeppelin reunion appearance...my (kinda) realistic job is to be a chef at a nice, but not uppity, restaurant near/on a beach.

You’re a Yankees fan and the MLB All Star Game is at Yankee Stadium this year. Give us your all-time Yankees All Star team. (And go ahead and tell those of us that haven’t heard the story about the time you drove Derek Jeter to the airport...)

C - Yogi Berra
1B - Don Mattingly (my favorite player as a kid)
2B - Tony Lazzeri
SS - Derek Jeter
3B - Clete Boyer
OF - Babe Ruth
OF - Reggie Jackson
OF - Mickey Mantle
DH - Lou Gehrig (because I snubbed him at 1B)
P - Don Larsen (perfect game in the WS)
P - Whitey Ford
P - Ron Guidry
P - Andy Pettite
P - Catfish Hunter
RP - Mariano Rivera
Utility - Bucky Dent
Mgr - Billy Martin

Honorable Mention:
Steve Balboni
Andy Hawkins (pitched a no-hitter and lost 4-0)
Jeffrey Maier
Aaron Boone
David Wells (pitched a perfect game hungover)

Ok...turn back the clock to 1998. The Yankees are in the midst of an unbelievable record breaking season. Jeter was playing a rehab assignment for the Columbus Clippers vs. the Durham Bulls while I was their Director of Ticket Sales. As everyone knows here, and there at the time, I make no secret of my love for the Yanks. Our Director of Security was walking his beat and I jokingly told him, "I’d be happy to shuttle Jeter wherever he needs to go after the game."

During the game, despite my love of the Bronx Bombers, Jeter had just broken up with Mariah Carey so I suggested that it would be funny if we played one of her hits as he took the batter’s box the first time.

Come the end of the game, our security guy came to me and asked that I pull my car to the side of the stadium, but despite incessant bugging of him, he wouldn’t tell me why. I’m expecting some practical joke as I had already gotten quite a few people on the staff. Instead, out walks Derek Jeter, Mike Jerzembeck and one other AAA player I can’t remember to my luxurious 1996 Mazda 626. Jeter was heading back to the big club, meeting them in Cleveland. I safely shuttled the AAA gents to the away team hotel and Jeter to the airport. Having been around sports figures my entire life, I rarely find myself (anytime for that matter) at a loss for words, but I didn’t want to be that crazy Yanks fan giving Jeter the "Attaboy, go win the Series now that you’re healthy", so the talk was quite light to say the least.

From that point on, friends knowing my history of cheering on the Yanks had all kinds of suggestions, "don’t ever sell this car", "put a small nameplate on the dashboard stating that Derek Jeter Sat Here", and more. Instead (with tongue planted firmly in cheek), I like to think that I had a direct effect on the outcome of the 1998 World Series. Had for some reason I had gotten lost, or God forbid worse, with Jeter in the car, who knows if they would have gone on to an American League record 114 wins and sweep the Padres in the World Series.

You love to visit The Outer Banks of North Carolina...in addition to OBX, what are your top vacation destinations and must-do recommendations?

Now having kids, Disney World is a must, of course. Nothing beats seeing them enjoy the characters and the rides.

If you could have dinner and a good conversation with anyone – dead or alive – who would it be?

This is tough with so many influential people that I can think of...but I’ll have to go with Babe Ruth. I’m sure dinner would then have to include a couple (or more) libations and some great tales.

Favorite Gladiators-related story you’ll tell to anyone who’ll listen?

As it’s no secret to most that know our office, I like to play an occasional prank to keep the mood light. We had a relatively new intern that was a tad on the gullible side, so we (no, not just me) decided to make him the target of our joke.

From my days in baseball, there were many jokes played on myself, as an intern, and the batboys - including have us find the bag of curveballs, the left handed bats and more. From this I thought it would be an interesting experiment to see if we could convince this young man, who shall remain nameless, to find the lost keys to the penalty boxes. I explained to him in great detail that we were in great danger of postponing the game if the keys that lock the penalty box after every game couldn’t be found. I was able to get a number of folks on staff to join in and make his ’goose-chase’ last a good 15-20 minutes. We were about to let him off the hook because he had become very red-faced and generally frazzled until we found out that - without prodding - a number of folks that work for the Arena had continued the prank and sent him to all corners of the Arena searching every nook and cranny.

Luckily we all carry radios, and could listen to his horror in not being able to track down the ’keys’...and eventually had to use the radio (since we had no clue where he was) to let him in, finally, on the prank. Poor kid.

Finally - tell us three quirky facts about Doug.
1. My brain is a database of weird/sometimes useful/mostly off the wall information
2. I am a coffee junkie, I roast my own coffee that I buy fresh from Fair Trade Growers
3. I love to cook as gourmet a meal as my skills will allow - also I will grill anything from pizza to any large chunk of red meat

SLAPSHOTS:
I shouldn’t eat bacon, but I can’t resist.
My first job was working at Roy Rogers as a fry guy having to wear the 100% polyester uniform also equipped with a sweet logo visor.
The glass is half full of Vanilla Coke (soon to be empty).
Disturbed is getting the most airtime right now on my IPod.
The biggest thing I’ve ever splurged on is a big screen TV for the living room.
Musical guilty pleasure: The 80’s playlist on my iPod which is not limited to, but includes, Safety Dance - Men Without Hats, True - Spandau Ballet, Humpty Dance - Digital Underground, and Everybody Wang Chung Tonight - Wang Chung
Television guilty pleasure: ’LOST’ as much as it annoys me
Movie guilty pleasure: Any ’spaghetti western’ especially ones starring Clint Eastwood.
Best Album of All Time: Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd tied with Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles (I looked at the ridiculous number of plays I have on these albums on my iPod)
Best Song of All Time: Romeo Delight - Van Halen (on ’11’) tied with Bold as Love - Jimi Hendrix
Best Band of All Time: Led Zeppelin




Win an Autographed Team Jersey!
Thursday, June 26, 2008

The Gladiators are excited to announce a new promotion for fans who purchase a ticket plan for the 2008-2009 season. Simply buy a Mini-Plan or Full Season Ticket and you could win a team autographed 2007-2008 Gladiators jersey complete with a letter of authenticity! The bigger the plan you purchase, the more entries you get to win. For instance, if you buy a Game of the Month 7-Game Plan, you get 7 entries to win. Buy a Flex Book of 12 Vouchers, get 12 chances to win. Go all the way for a Full Season Ticket and you’ll get 36 entries to win. The quantity of the plans you buy multiplies your chances to win as well. If you buy 2 Game of the Month Packages you’ll get 14 entries (2 plans x 7 games).

If you’ve already purchased your plans for the 2008-2009 season, don’t worry! We’ve automatically entered you to win.

We’ll draw the winner on October 1st and the winner will be able to pick up their jersey starting at the Gladiators Open House Event (Date: Early October, TBA).

CLICK HERE TO FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PLANS AND TO PURCHASE TODAY!!

Have questions? Give us a call at 770-497-5100 or email us at hockey@gwinnettgladiators.com.




Get on the Glass Seat Waiting List Now!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Gwinnett Gladiators have announced that they will have a limited number of Glass Seat Full Season Tickets available for purchase for the 2008-2009 season. Because there are less than 200 of these, total, available in the Arena, they go fast. To give fans the opportunity to get in on the ultimate in up-close action, a waiting list has been created.

Interested? Keep reading.

It’s very easy to get yourself on the list for some of the very best seats in the house, but don’t hesitate. All you have to do is place a $100 fully refundable deposit to get yourself in line. Click here here to place your deposit today. In the case that you don’t get the Glass Seats, you can apply the $100 per seat deposit to any 2008-2009 Gladiators ticket package, or we will gladly refund the deposit to you.

Once you’ve placed your deposit, Doug Augis, the Gladiators Director of Ticket Sales will contact you regarding your spot in line for the ’best seats in the house’, set up a time for you to view the Arena, and work out any additional details.

For information on pricing and benefits click here, give us a call at 770-4967-5100 or email hockey@gwinnettgladiators.com.

Online Jersey Auction Has Begun
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Gwinnett Gladiators have announced that their online jersey auction began at 3:15 PM Tuesday, June 24th via eBay. There were five remaining game used jerseys from the 2007-2008 season left after the Summer Shindig held last Wednesday Night. The remaining jerseys have been put up for auction online to give fans who were unable to attend the event the chance to obtain a game used jersey. Each auction will begin today and continue for five days through Sunday. Minimum bidding on each jersey starts at $250. The first auction started at 3:15 with each remaining auction beginning in thirty minute intervals.

Please click here to be taken to the Gladiators eBay page for the auctions.

JERSEYS AVAILABLE:
Road Josh Bennett #17
Road Colton Fretter #4
Road Ray Jean #1
Road Scott Lehman #9
Home Scott Lehman #9









Einstein HR Named Official Payroll Co.
Monday, June 23, 2008

The Gwinnett Gladiators are pleased to announce that Einstein HR, a full-service HR services firm, has been named as the official human resources and payroll source for the team. Einstein HR is a professional services firm that designs and implements human resource outsourcing solutions for clients in the small and mid-sized markets. Our staff has decades of experience working in HR outsourcing, and we are certain that we can provide a solution that will work for you. Einstein HR helps companies save money, reduce risk, and reallocate resources to allow concentration on core business in addition to help with staying in compliance with the things companies do and don’t know. From a la carte services to an all-inclusive HRO strategy, companies can find piece of mind in HR with Einstein HR.

“We are pleased to have chosen Einstein HR as the official HR and Payroll Service firm of the Gwinnett Gladiators,” says Steve Chapman, President of the Gwinnett Gladiators organization. “Einstein HR offers access to comprehensive HR solutions normally only available to companies with a full human resources department. We believe in the ability of Einstein’s services to save money for local Metro Atlanta businesses”.

Layne Davlin, Chairman of the Board for Einstein HR, is thrilled to have been chosen by the Gladiators organization. According to Davlin, “At Einstein HR, it is our goal to act as a partner for our client companies, helping each client with their specific HR needs. With our easy conversion processes, we make it simple for local businesses to get the HR assistance they need. We are proud that an organization like the Gladiators would choose us as their HR and payroll services firm of choice.”

Einstein HR clients receive some or all of the following benefits:
• Lower HR costs
• Protection from government non-compliance penalties
• Facilitation of one or more components of an employee benefits program
• Reduction of Workers Comp rates
• Implementation of a comprehensive risk management program, including Workers Comp, OSHA, etc.
• Facilitation of a change in HR process providers if client is unsatisfied with current performance
• Launch of HR functions and processes, including an HR audit and full needs assessment.

To contact Einstein HR, please call (770) 962-1700 or visit our website at www.EinsteinHR.com.




Anderson Named Atlanta Head Coach
Monday, June 23, 2008

This past Friday Atlanta Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell announced that the Thrashers had named a head coach. Having just won the AHL’s Calder Cup Championship with the Chicago Wolves, John Anderson will become the fourth coach in Thrashers history. He has 30 years of experience in professional hockey as a player and coach, including the past 11 years as head coach of the Wolves. During his tenure with Chicago, he has earned a 506-283-99 regular-season record, a 105-60 post-season record and captured two Calder Cups (2008, 2002) and two Turner Cups (2000, 1998) when the team was a member of the International Hockey League.

“John has an impressive record of success as a head coach and we are excited to be adding him to our organization,” said Waddell. “He’s a proven winner whose leadership and experience behind the bench will play a vital role in the resurgence of our hockey club.”

Throughout his 13 seasons as a head coach, Anderson has made the playoffs on 12 occasions, including 10 of his 11 seasons with the Wolves. Overall, he has led his teams to the league finals eight times and has advanced to the conference finals 10 times. He has won 40-or-more games in a season 10 times, including 50-or-more wins on four occasions, and has reached the 100-point mark seven times. He is also the Wolves all-time leader in regular-season wins (506) and playoff wins (105).

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Chicago but I’m thrilled to now have the opportunity to take those achievements and advance my career in Atlanta with an exciting organization like the Thrashers,” said Anderson. “This team has some great talent, and I look forward to the challenge or maximizing our potential and returning to the playoffs.”

During his 12-year NHL playing career from 1977 to 1989, Anderson amassed 282 goals and 349 assists for 631 points in 814 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1977-1985), Quebec Nordiques (1985-86) and Hartford Whalers (1986-1989). He also notched nine goals and 27 points in 37 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests with Toronto and Hartford. Originally selected by the Maple Leafs in the first round, 11th overall, in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft, Anderson registered five 30-goal campaigns, including four straight from 1981 to 1985. His most productive season came in 1982-83, when he led Toronto with 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists) in 80 games.

A native of Toronto, he represented Canada in the World Championships in 1983 and 1985, recording seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 15 games over the two tournaments, while earning a Bronze Medal and Silver Medal, respectively. He also competed in the World Junior Championships in 1977, amassing 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in seven games, helping Canada to a Silver Medal.

Photo Courtesy of Ross Dettman/Chicago Wolves