DULUTH — In an effort to be more inclusive of the metro area while still maintaining ties to a loyal 12-year fanbase, the ECHL’s Gladiators are changing their name from Gwinnett to Atlanta.

The mascot, colors and virtually all of the identifying marks for the franchise remain the same.

The Gladiators will continue to play in Duluth at the newly christened Infinite Energy Center.

This isn’t the precursor to a location change and it’s something the team has been considering for years.

“We feel like the time is right,” general manager of business operations Joe Gelderman said. “We feel like we are part of the Atlanta sports landscape. With the absence of an NHL team, we want people to know that we are their hockey team, that we are Atlanta’s hockey team, not just Gwinnett’s hockey team.”

While the core of the Gladiators fanbase remains in Gwinnett, the number of people coming from surrounding counties has continued to grow over the last several years.

“There’s a lot of thought that went into it,” said Christina Johnson, the senior director of digital, media and game operation who has been with the team since its inaugural 2003-04 campaign. “This has been years in discussion and in weighing the pros and cons. This is not a decision we took lightly.

“This is not in any way meant to slight the county or the people in the county who have supported us for 12 seasons. This is just us better positioning ourselves to be successful in the metro Atlanta market and I think we’re being transparent about it.”

Speculation about the change began swirling earlier this summer when records revealed the team had registered the domain names atlantagladiators.com and atlantagladiators.net. The ECHL also had applied for a trademark of the team’s main logo which replaces “Gwinnett” with “Atlanta” under the sword-wielding Gladiator.

“I think a lot of our diehards were aware of it,” Gelderman said. “The feedback from people who are aware of it — we talked to some fans before we officially decided — has been positive.”

History doesn’t always paint a rosy picture when it comes to name changes for minor league teams. It can be viewed as a last-ditch attempt at reinvigorating a floundering franchise.

“It’s definitely not the situation here,” Gelderman said. “We’ve been fortunate enough that, honestly, our owners have never had to write a check at the end of the season to cover costs.

“Do we hope that it helps up attendance-wise? Absolutely. We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t think it would help. But it’s more that we’re trying to go from good to great.”

Veteran forward Derek Nesbitt played for the team as a rookie in 2005-06 and for two more abbreviated stints while spending the majority of his career in the AHL. Nesbitt re-signed with the Gladiators this summer and makes his offseason home in nearby Hall County.

Nesbitt, who has a degree in marketing, was excited about the name change and wants to ensure the on-ice product makes the trip to Gwinnett worthwhile for those a little further afield.

“We want to come out of the gates flying,” Nesbitt said. “We want to give the people here a reason to keep coming to games and turn this into a community thing even beyond Gwinnett County.

“People just want to be a part of something that’s exciting. I don’t care what it is. Why wouldn’t that work for us? I feel like it’s an untapped market still. It’s clearly out there.”

He already knows people will be impressed with the venue.

“Not many minor league arenas are nicer than this one,” said Nesbitt, who has played across North America and overseas. “It’s an unbelievable building. In 10 years, it’s one of the top few that I’ve seen that aren’t an NHL or NBA arena.”

Nesbitt’s travels also have made him aware that despite its more than 850,000 residents, outside the metro area, Gwinnett isn’t a well-known name.

“Wherever I play, I get asked, ‘Where’s Gwinnett?’” Nesbitt said. “This gives us a larger identity. I think there are a lot of positives to expanding the market base.”

Gelderman said it does open up more corporate sponsorship opportunities.

The marketing partners we’ve talking to about this are extremely excited about it because having that Atlanta name helps them as well in terms of the marketing money they’re spending with us,” he said. “We are excited about our future at the Infinite Energy Center.”

Nesbitt is deeply appreciative of the fans who have stuck with the team for 12 years and kept the attendance averages among the top 10 in the ECHL.

“We need the Gwinnett fans more than ever,” Nesbitt said. “They’re the reason we’re allowed to do this. If we were only getting 2,000 fans a night, the team wouldn’t be here anymore. Their (average attendance around) 5,000 is a good night in the AHL.

“They’re completely the core of our fanbase. That’s still our home. We’re just trying to add to it. We’re still the Gladiators.”