ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Sign Defenseman Paris to ATO; Mason Unavailable for Game Four

Published on April 17, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators announced today that they have signed defenseman Drew Paris to an amateur tryout agreement. In addition, Gladiators defenseman and team Captain Jeff Mason will not be in the line up for tonight's Game 4 against Florida.

Paris joins Gwinnett after skating in 4 games with the Florida Everblades during the regular season. He collected 2 assists while with Florida. He also appeared in 5 games with the Rochester Americans but did not register a point while in the American Hockey League.

The Pointe Claire, Quebec native split time during the regular season with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this year. He collected 20 goals and 57 points in 66 game this season in the QMJHL.

Mason will not be available for the Gladiators for at least the next two games of the ECHL South Division Semifinal Series. He returned home to attend to a family illness.

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 864 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.

The Gwinnett Gladiators continue their sixth season as a proud member of the ECHL - 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.

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