Friday, March 03, 2006

Ex-Wolverine Gajic earns ECHL award

Milan Gajic of the Gwinnett Gladiators is the CCM Vector ECHL Rookie of the Month for February.

The 24-year-old led the Gladiators in February with eight goals and tied for the team lead with two game-winning goals while his three power-play goals ranked second and his 15 points ranked third on the team for the month.

The 6-foot-1 and 205-pound center helped Gwinnett go 9-2-2 and clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs while remaining in first place in the South Division with 79 points and a 36-11-7 record.

Selected in the fourth round (112th overall) by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and under contract to Providence of the American Hockey League, Gajic had three two-goal games and two two-assist games and four multiple-point games. He scored a career-best four points (2g-2a) in a 6-1 win against division rival Greenville on Feb. 7 which began a seven-game scoring streak (6g-6a) that ended Feb. 18. He was reassigned to Providence on Feb. 20 and played in four games from Feb. 22-26.

He ranks second among ECHL rookies in shooting percentage with 20.2 percent and is tied for 14th with 43 points in 28 games. He is tied for third on the Gladiators with 20 goals and 43 points in 28 games and has played 17 games in the AHL with Providence, registering one assist and 10 penalty minutes.

A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, Gajic spent four years at the University of Michigan where he scored 115 points (53g-62a) in 159 games and helped the Wolverines win the Central Collegiate Hockey Association championship and advance to the Frozen Four in 2001-02 and 2002-03. He also played for the Burnaby Bulldogs of the British Columbia Hockey League in 2000-01 and had 98 points (46g-62a) in 50 games.

Photo by Marshall Mackinder at last year's Super Six.

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