GWINNETT, Ga. – With baseball in full-swing and heading toward the playoffs, the Gwinnett Gladiators recent news has made quite an impact in and around the Atlanta area. The summer of 2011 has been fairly exciting for the Gladiators, complete with a new coach and new affiliates. On July 13, 2011, the Gladiators announced that their head man for the past eight seasons, Jeff Pyle, accepted the head coaching position with the AHLs Texas Stars. “On behalf of everyone in the Gladiators organization, we are proud to announce that Jeff Pyle has accepted a coaching position in the AHL with the Texas Stars,” said Gladiators President Steve Chapman. “While we will all most certainly miss Jeff, we could not be happier for him to get this well-deserved opportunity. Candidly, it has been long overdue.” Under Pyle’s direction, the Gladiators reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs in six of his eight seasons, including five seasons with 40 or more wins and set an all-time team record with 50 wins and 107 points during the 2005-06 season that included an appearance in the 2006 Kelly Cup Finals. Pyle recorded his 400th ECHL coaching win during the 2009-10 season. He began his coaching career with the organization, serving as the head coach for the team’s final four years in Mobile as the Mysticks from 1998 through 2001. The team soon announced the hiring of John Wroblewski as Pyle’s successor. “We were looking for the right fit for what we do – play exciting hockey, develop talent and young men and be an asset in our community. John Wroblewski fit exactly what we were looking for in a coach,” said Chapman. “He has the credentials and the background in developing hockey players. He has the character and the commitment that fit our philosophy and he has the passion to get it done.” Wroblewski joins Gwinnett after he served as an assistant coach with the Wheeling Nailers last year. He helped guide the Nailers to their best post-season finish since 1998 as Wheeling advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. With the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg, the Gladiators organization also made a move and signed on with, ironically the team that used to be in Winnipeg, the Phoenix Coyotes. Phoenix is the fourth NHL organization in which the Gladiators have been affiliated. Gwinnett served as the ECHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers for eight seasons; from the Gladiators inaugural 2003-04 season until the 2010-2011 season. Gwinnett has also had dual affiliates with the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2008-09 season and the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2009-2010 season, in addition to the Thrashers in those respective seasons. After a dismal 2010-2011, the Gladiators, along with their new head coach, are looking ahead to the 2011-2012 season in hopes of returning to the post-season. Contact author at ryan.kouvolo@prohockeynews.com
Related
You must be logged in to post a comment.