GUELPH, ON - JANUARY 25: Kevin Mandolese #31 of Team Orr faces a shot in the warm-up prior to action against Team Cherry in the 2018 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects game at the Sleeman Centre on January 25, 2018 in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Team Cherry defeated Team Orr 7-4. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
After being left without an ECHL during the pandemic, the Ottawa Senators have now added a new team to the pipeline, the Atlanta Gladiators. The ECHL is a league that is usually an afterthought to the average hockey fan provides a great avenue for NHL prospects (especially goalies) to develop their skills without sitting in the press box in the AHL.