Following a brief recall, the Milwaukee Admirals have loaned defenseman Rick Pinkston back to the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. Pinkston was recalled on Saturday’s home game after a potential injury crunch at the time but Joonas Lyytinen was able to suit up and play both games this weekend while Pinkston was out as a healthy scratch.

Press Release via Atlanta Gladiators:

DULUTH, Ga. – The Atlanta Gladiators announced Monday that defenseman Rick Pinkston has been loaned to the team by the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL while defenseman Drew Baker has agreed to terms on a standard professional contract.

Pinkston, 27, rejoins the Gladiators after a short call-up to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound defender posted 10 points (2-8-10) and a plus-11 plus/minus rating in 29 games for the Gladiators this season. The Trenton, MI native’s plus-11 rating leads Atlanta’s defensive-core in that category and is tied for the team-lead overall.

Baker, 32, comes out of retirement to re-sign with his home state Gladiators. The Alpharetta, GA native played all of last season with Atlanta where he earned 13 points (3-10-13) and 100 penalty minutes in 59 games played. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound D-man has skated in 396 professional games predominately in the ECHL and SPHL. The nine-year pro has won two SPHL President Cup Championships with the Pensacola Ice Flyers in 2013-14 and 2015-16. Baker appeared in two games for the Ice Flyers at the start of this season registering two assists.

The Atlanta Gladiators 15th Anniversary season continues at the Infinite Energy Arena Friday, February 16th against the Manchester Monarchs at 7:35 PM. For ticket information, visit the official team website at http://www.atlantagladiators.com or call the main office line at 770-497-5100.

The Gladiators are members of the ECHL, the nation’s premier “AA” hockey league. All home games are played at the 10,867-seat Infinite Energy Arena, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth – where parking is always free. The Gladiators have established an unrivaled commitment to excellence, maintaining a distinctive reputation for affordable and family-friendly sports entertainment and consistently ranked as one of the top “Things To Do” in the Atlanta area and across the North Georgia region.

For all the latest team news, contests, and more visit AtlantaGladiators.com, or “like” the Gladiators on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AtlantaGladiators), follow the team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ATLGladiators), Instagram (www.instagram.com/atlgladiators) or Snapchat (www.snapchat.com) at “gladshockey”.

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