The ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators will have a new name this season. The club announced on Wednesday they will now be known as the Atlanta Gladiators.

Four years ago the Atlanta Thrashers departed for Winnipeg, leaving the southeast's city without a hockey franchise. But that doesn't mean the region hasn't been without hockey.

The Gladiators play in Duluth, Ga., about an hour outside of Atlanta. Given that they are the only team in the area, they've decided to adopt the metro moniker.

“We hope that incorporating 'Atlanta' into our name will allow more fans to identify with us, and will inspire people from all over the metro area to continue to support and embrace our organization," said Gladiators General Manager and Vice President of Business Operations Joe Gelderman. 

"This was not a decision we made lightly, and in doing so we made sure to consult with a cross section of our fan base, as well as some of our corporate partners. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly in support of making this adjustment.”

Only the primary logo and wordmark will be updated to reflect the new name. The rest of the team's logos and jerseys will remain unchanged.

UPDATE · Sep 14 · Added new images above.