All-Star forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel of the Gwinnett Gladiators leads the ECHL in scoring with 62 points with only 16 games left before the Kelly Cup Playoffs begin. The 24-year old has notched 17 goals and 45 assists in 56 games in his first season as a Gladiator.
Pierro-Zabotel was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 3 (#80 overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and is in his fourth ECHL season. Before joining Gwinnett the Ashcroft, British Columbia native skated for the Wheeling Nailers (2009-11), Cincinnati Cyclones (2010-11) and Bakersfield Condors (2011-12).
In 243 ECHL games the southpaw has racked up 192 points (55G, 137A), including a previous season high of 35 last season while with Bakersfield. CPZ also made a trip up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in the 2009-10 campaign where he had an assist and a rating of +2 in nine games.
Pierro-Zabotel played two seasons in the Western Hockey League, a junior league, before coming to the ECHL where he totaled 163 points (55G, 108A) in 121 games. He earned the Bobby Clarke Award in 2008-09 as the league’s leading scorer with 115 points in 72 games.
Gwinnett acquired Pierro-Zabotel via trade with Wheeling on September 29.
The Glads will play their next nine games on the road before returning to the Arena to finish the regular season by playing six of their final seven games at home.
The Gladiators are the ECHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League and play home games at the 11,355-seat Arena at Gwinnett Center, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. The ECHL is the Premier "AA" League.
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