Atlanta Gladiators Name Andrew Jarvis Team Captain for 2026-27
The Atlanta Gladiators are turning to a familiar face to lead the team into the 2026-27 ECHL season. The club announced Tuesday, Oct. 13, that defenseman Andrew Jarvis will serve as team captain, with four players joining the leadership group as alternate captains.
Jarvis, who wore an alternate captain’s letter last season, will lead the Gladiators as they prepare for their home opener on Oct. 17 at Gas South Arena. The team is the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators and the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.
Meet Atlanta’s 2026-27 Leadership Group
Alongside Jarvis, the Gladiators named Joey Cipollone and Brendan Less as alternate captains for home games. Ryan Conroy and Mike McNamee will wear the alternate captain’s letter on the road.
The group brings a mix of experience with Atlanta, professional hockey leadership and familiarity with the responsibilities that come with representing a team both on and off the ice.
Jarvis Takes the Captaincy After Building His Leadership Resume
Jarvis enters his third season with Atlanta and fifth season in the ECHL. His appointment as captain follows a season as an alternate captain and continues a leadership history that stretches back to his college and junior hockey days.
He served as an alternate captain during his senior season at Carleton University and captained the Brockville Braves of the Central Canada Hockey League from 2016 to 2018.
The defenseman recorded six assists in 57 games during the 2025-26 season. Across 116 games with Atlanta, Jarvis has totaled six goals and 13 assists for 19 points.
His broader ECHL experience includes stops with the Allen Americans and Tulsa Oilers, along with the Gladiators. Across 217 career ECHL games, he has registered six goals and 28 assists for 34 points.
Cipollone and Less to Lead at Home
Cipollone and Less will serve as Atlanta’s alternate captains when the team plays at home, bringing substantial professional experience to the leadership group.
Cipollone is entering his fourth professional season and third with the Gladiators. He leads all active Atlanta skaters in games played with the club, having appeared in 140 contests and collected 32 goals and 39 assists for 71 points.
The forward is coming off a career-best offensive season in 2025-26, when he scored 17 goals and added 20 assists for 37 points across 72 games.
Less is entering his second season with Atlanta and fifth as a professional. Acquired by the Gladiators in a trade last season, he has appeared in 180 ECHL games with the Worcester Railers, Iowa Heartlanders, Adirondack Thunder and Atlanta.
Across those appearances, Less has recorded seven goals and 49 assists for 56 points.
Conroy and McNamee Will Represent Atlanta on the Road
Conroy and McNamee will take on alternate captain duties during road games, building on the leadership they demonstrated in their first season with the Gladiators.
Atlanta acquired Conroy from the Adirondack Thunder in the summer of 2025. The defenseman was elevated to alternate captain midway through the 2025-26 campaign following Louis Boudon’s departure, establishing himself as a contributor on both sides of the game.
Conroy finished the season with five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 67 games.
McNamee brought a unique path back to professional hockey last season, returning to the ice after a four-year retirement. The 33-year-old forward made an immediate impact, producing seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points in 56 games.
His leadership experience spans multiple levels of hockey. McNamee previously wore an alternate captain’s letter with Denmark’s Aalborg Pirates, the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and Carleton University. During his time away from playing, he also served as an assistant coach at Carleton from 2021 to 2025.
Gladiators Set for Home Opener October 17
With Jarvis leading the way and four alternate captains supporting him, Atlanta’s leadership group is set for the new season.
The Gladiators will open their home schedule Saturday, Oct. 17, at Gas South Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The game will mark Jarvis’ first home opener as the team’s captain.
Source: Atlanta Gladiators
