MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – The Gwinnett Gladiators announced today that they have signed defensemen Jeff Mason and Ryan Mahrle for the 2007-08 season.
Mahrle comes to the Gladiators after completing his collegiate career at Western Michigan University last year. He collected 2 goals and 15 assists last season to rank first in scoring among defenseman. He ranked first among defensemen in scoring in each of the past three seasons at Western Michigan.
Winner of the Neil Smith Most Valuable Defenseman of the Year award in each of the past three seasons at Western Michigan University, Mahrle was named the Bronco Scholar Athlete of the Year last year.
Following his final collegiate season, he joined Kalamazoo of the United Hockey League for 13 games where he collected 9 assists for the Wings.
Mason joins the Gladiators from the Long Beach Ice Dogs where he notched 42 points off of 11 goals and 31 assists in 72 games last season. He began his professional career with the Augusta Lynx during the 2005-06 season. He had 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 46 games with Augusta.
Prior to turning professional, the Easthampton, MA native played four collegiate seasons at Providence College. The defenseman amassed 30 points in 125 career collegiate games.
Opening Day in the ECHL for the 20th Anniversary Season will be Oct. 18 when the Johnstown Chiefs host the Wheeling Nailers at Cambria County War Memorial in a rematch of Game 7 from the first-ever ECHL Finals.
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary as the Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League in 2007-08, the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league that will have 25 teams in 17 states and British Columbia in 2007-08. The 25 teams includes the Mississippi (Biloxi) Sea Wolves, who return after missing two seasons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the expansion Elmira (N.Y.) Jackals.
The ECHL will play 900 games beginning Oct. 18 and concluding Apr. 5. The conference and division alignments and the format for the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs will be determined and approved at a later date by the ECHL Board of Governors.