ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Sign Former NY Rangers Prospect Graham

August 27, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


The Gwinnett Gladiators announced today that they have signed forward Bruce Graham for the 2008-09 season.

Under contract to the New York Rangers of the NHL during the past three seasons, Graham begins his fourth professional season this year in Gwinnett. He split time during each of his first three pro seasons with the Charlotte Checkers as well as the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey League.

Last year in Charlotte, Graham collected 11 goals and 22 assists for the Checkers ranking 5th in scoring on the team with 33 points in just 42 games in the ECHL. He also appeared in 24 AHL games with Hartford notching a goal and 5 assists for 6 points.

Graham ranked third in scoring with the Checkers during the 2006-07 season as he finished with 33 goals and 23 assists for 56 points in 65 games. He also represented the Checkers at the 2007 ECHL All Star Game in Boise, Idaho. He appeared in just seven games in Hartford finishing with an assist.

During his rookie campaign in 2005-06, he appeared in 23 games with the Checkers and 25 games in the AHL with Hartford. He posted 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points for the Checkers while recording 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points in the AHL with Hartford.

Prior to turning pro the Moncton, New Brunswick native played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Moncton Wildcats. He appeared in 154 career junior games while recording 62 goals and 112 assists for 174 career points.

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 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.

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