ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Gladiators Sign Forward Bateman

September 8, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


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

Bateman joins Gwinnett for his second professional season this year after appearing in 40 games last season in the ECHL with the Stockton Thunder. He finished last season with 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points and 21 penalty minutes while with Stockton.

Prior to turning pro last year, Bateman played four seasons at Northern Michigan University. During his senior season in 2006-07, Bateman was awarded the Dennis Sibilsky Memorial Senior Award. The Calgary, Alberta, native served as the captain during the 2006-07 season finishing with 15 points on seven goals and eight assists.

Following his senior season, he also appeared in three games in the American Hockey League with the Milwaukee Admirals. He notched 2 penalty minutes during his stint in the AHL.

During his four year collegiate career at Northern Michigan, Bateman notched 36 goals and 51 assists for 87 points in 151 career games with the Wildcats.

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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