The Atlanta Gladiators’ 2023 training camp roster featured 19 total players, consisting of six defensemen, 11 forwards, and two goaltenders. With nearly an entirely new roster and the return of a few fan favorites, the team has not wasted any time getting things solidified for the start of the regular season. It would be a simplification of things to call this a rebuilding year for these Gladiators because that is not something that seems to remotely be on the minds of this team. In fact, they are eager to make the upcoming season one that fans will be excited about.
Make no mistake, though, fans will be sure to take notice of the speed coming their way with the addition of new players alongside their returning teammates. Coach Nesbitt said that they did not necessarily seek out faster skaters when looking for roster additions in the off-season but added that it does offer them some flexibility with how they want to do things, especially up front. “[The speed] feeds off nicely with the way I want to play it.” As for the team becoming cohesive throughout camp, Nesbitt added that the team had begun to gel a lot more as camp progressed.
Team practices, according to Alex Whelan, have offered the team time to connect and noted the trainers have been great in helping with that. He said, “The skates have been very high-paced. The team looks really good out there, so I am excited to get going.”
Mitch Fossier said that training camp has been fun and is happy to be back in his hometown. “It is good to be back home at my childhood rink. A little strange, but it has been fun.” Since returning to Georgia after playing for the Maine Mariners, Fossier has been spending some time hanging out with his friends and family. With training camp underway, he has enjoyed working with coaches and players he has played with in the past. Fossier added that they have been putting in the time to make sure that they are becoming cohesive both on and off the ice. “I’ve never been so, you know, comfortable in training camp, just, you know, knowing the coaches from kind of growing up and a lot of the players. So it’s been a pretty good transition so far, and hopefully that kind of just continues.”
Working on the on-ice pacing for this team has also been something that they have been putting visible effort into. Alex Whelan stated, “One of the most important things is starting out fast, [and to] engage quickly. It is important for us to start out fast and be aggressive out there.” Whelan is not settling with just an increase in fast-paced action, however, and is fully prepared to help the team be ready for playoff action. “The returning guys really brought us all in really quickly, and I feel like we’re all like really close already. It seems like it’s gonna be a really good group, a tight team, and hopefully that brings us to a long playoff run.”
Jackson Pierson agreed and said that remaining on pace will be important for the team throughout the season. “At the end of the year, you never really know how fast/how slow things are going to be. Being able to work together and be on the same page” will be important for the team heading into the start of the regular season as well as into a playoff stretch. On working with the Gladiators’ new Head Coach, Derek Nesbitt, “He is super approachable and easy to talk to. He can relate to a lot of the guys, which is nice. I think him having an understanding of what we go through week to week, being a player not so long ago, I think that has helped him transition a lot.”
As for the reaction of the fans to the new look of the team, Whelan hopes that the fans will react well to the Atlanta Gladiators’ newest members. “A lot of the older guys, the guys that have been here awhile, [they] are fan favorites here. A lot of us new guys are hopefully likable, and I hope we get to keep the fans and be able to have them like us as much as the guys that were here prior”. Pierson agreed and added that he hoped that fans are excited about the team [this year] and will keep coming back. Undoubtedly, fans will have a few new favorites to add to their list.
The fans won’t have to wait much longer to see this team in action. The Atlanta Gladiators face off against the Savannah Ghost Pirates on their home ice at Gas South Arena on October 21st at 7 p.m., opening their season with what will be a highly anticipated matchup.
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