The return of the Glads. The team's 2026-27 season opening press conference pulls a blast from the past as they look to build on last season's positive moves
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
August 20, 2026 at 6pm EST is a reminder of how close Opening Night is for the Atlanta Gladiators (October 17, 2026).
Building off a 2025-26 season which results in the team's first playoff appearance in 4 years, the team's press conference at the Gas South District is full of energy and excitement. In fact, additional seats have to setup given the presence of the team's season ticket holders, individual game attendees, and the media.
During the press conference, a welcome is provided by Guy Chiarenza (Director of Broadcasting and Communications) who serves as the MC for the evening. He's followed by Team Owner Alex Campbell, Team President Jared Youngman, Head Coach Matt Ginn, and Trevor Wimmer (Director of Ticket Sales).
All speak to building upon the positives of last season on and off the ice, and while conversation is shared early about the upcoming prospects and goals of the season, arguably, the biggest goal is in the reveal of the new team uniforms. After extensive feedback from fans, the team is returning to its original colors of red, black, and white (along with their home, away, and alternate jerseys).
With an enhanced engagement with the fans and immediate community, the team has a number of things in place focused on having a solid program on and off the ice (click HERE for the full promotion schedule):
Two theme nights in October (highlighted by Opening Weekend October 17-18, 2026).
Six theme nights in November (highlighted by the Fight Cancer Weekend November 20-22, 2026).
Three theme nights in December.
Three theme nights to open 2027 (January), including Ladies Day (January 3, 2027).
Four theme nights in February, including Heroes' Night and the Teddy Bear Toss (February 6, 2027).
Five theme nights in March, including the second of their School Day games (March 2, 2027 at 10:30am), Hockey Heritage Weekend (March 12-14, 2027), and a game on St Patrick's Day (March 17, 2027).
Three theme nights to close out the regular season, including Hockey is for Everyone (April 4, 2027) and Fan Appreciation (April 9, 2027).
With a commitment to a high level of game play along with a high level of community engagement (click HERE to read our article regarding their work at the Ronald McDonald House this summer), the Atlanta Gladiators are focused on building on a winning formula across the board.
Be it a first-time hockey attendee or a long-time season ticket holder (and all in between), the Glads are gearing up for a return to ECHL play and beyond.
NOTES: You may watch our video from the press conference (which includes full remarks and more) by visiting our playlist (click HERE to view). Readers are encouraged to visit the team website (click HERE) for additional information including ticket information, promotions, community-engagement, and other areas of interest.
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