Charlotte Checkers

Charlotte Checkers
CityCharlotte, North Carolina
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionAtlantic
Founded1990
Home arenaBojangles Coliseum
ColorsRed, black, silver, white
       
OwnerZawyer Sports & Entertainment
General managerPaul Krepelka
Head coachGeordie Kinnear
CaptainVacant
MediaWAME, AHL.TV (Internet)
AffiliatesFlorida Panthers (NHL)
Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL)
Franchise history
1971–1974Boston Braves
1990–1993Capital District Islanders
1993–2010Albany River Rats
2010–presentCharlotte Checkers
Championships
Regular season titles1 (2018–19)
Division titles2 (2018–19, 2021–22)
Conference titles2 (2018–19, 2024–25)
Calder Cups1 (2018–19)
Current uniform
Current season

The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Checkers play their home games at Bojangles' Coliseum.

The current organization is the third team by this name; it succeeded a Checkers franchise that played in the ECHL from 1993 until the end of the 2009–10 ECHL season. The original Checkers team played in the city from 1956 to 1977, originally in the Eastern Hockey League and then in the Southern Hockey League. The franchise is one of six teams to replace and share a name with a predecessor franchise from a lower-tier league; the others are the Bakersfield Condors, Colorado Eagles, Ontario Reign, Rockford IceHogs, and San Diego Gulls.

History

The franchise was previously based in the Capital District of New York and was a reestablishment of an inactive Boston Braves franchise that had been dormant since 1974.[1][2] The team operated as the Capital District Islanders from 1990 to 1993 and the Albany River Rats from 1993 to 2010. The River Rats were then sold to MAK Hockey, LLC, led by Charlotte beer distributor Michael Kahn, owner of the ECHL Checkers.[3] The new ownership relocated the team to Charlotte for the 2010–11 season, renaming the franchise the "Charlotte Checkers", and relinquished the ECHL franchise to the league.[4][5]

The Checkers are the second North Carolina–based team to play at the highest level of minor-league hockey, following the Carolina Monarchs, who played in Greensboro from 1995 to 1997. The Checkers inherited the River Rats' affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes, in keeping with a recent trend to have NHL teams' top affiliates geographically close to their parent teams in order to ease movement between the AHL and the NHL.

The AHL Checkers' first home game was October 15, 2010, at the Time Warner Cable Arena in front of 12,512 spectators, which set an attendance record for a hockey game in Charlotte.[6] On February 26, 2011, the attendance record was broken as 12,933 fans watched the Checkers defeat the Connecticut Whale 1–0.[7] Almost a year later, on February 25, 2012, the attendance record was broken yet again as 13,102 fans watched the Checkers fall to the Oklahoma City Barons, 3–2.[8] On April 11, 2015, the attendance record was broken a third time as 13,219 fans watched the last Checkers game at Time Warner Cable Arena, a 2–0 loss to the Rockford IceHogs.[9]

In late 2014, the Checkers announced they would return in the following season to the Bojangles' Coliseum, the home of the previous Checkers teams until 2005.[10] Kahn said the move would reconnect with the legacy of past Checkers teams. Additionally, while Bojangles' Coliseum was smaller than Time Warner Cable Arena, having a dedicated arena allowed for "greater control over every aspect of our business, including scheduling, amenities, game presentation and sponsorship inventory." The Charlotte City Council provided $16 million for renovations in order to bring the Coliseum to AHL standards.[11][12] While Time Warner Cable Arena had been one of the largest arenas in the AHL, it was built primarily for basketball and thus did not easily accommodate a hockey rink. It seated 14,100 people, but over 4,000 seats had obstructed views.[13]

Panoramic view of Bojangles' Coliseum for Game 2 of the 2019 Calder Cup Finals, against the Chicago Wolves.

In Charlotte on May 9 and 10, 2018, in game four of the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, the Checkers and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms played the longest game in the history of the American Hockey League. A 1–1 tie was broken by a Phantoms' goal at 6:48 of the fifth overtime period, more than six hours after the game began. The Checkers made 95 shots against Lehigh Valley goalie Alex Lyon.[14]

The 2018–19 season was the Checkers' best season as an AHL team to date and one of the best in Charlotte's hockey history. They won their first division title with 110 points and the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the league's best regular season record. It was the first time a Charlotte hockey team had broken the 100-point barrier since the SHL Checkers earned 101 points in 1974–75. They defeated the defending champion Toronto Marlies in the Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first Calder Cup final. They defeated the Chicago Wolves in five games to win their first AHL title, and the seventh hockey championship by a Charlotte-based team.[15]

The following 2019–20 season was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Calder Cup was not awarded. Following the cancelled postseason, the Hurricanes ended their affiliation with the Checkers after ten seasons,[16] resulting in the Checkers affiliating with the Florida Panthers beginning with the 2020–21 season. However, due to the ongoing restrictions during the pandemic, the Checkers were one of three teams that opted out of the 2020–21 AHL season.[17] When the Checkers returned for the 2021–22 season, they remained the primary affiliate of the Panthers, but agreed to also serve as the affiliate for the 2021–22 expansion team Seattle Kraken. The Kraken's general manager Ron Francis formerly worked for the Hurricanes when the team was still affiliated with the Checkers.[18]

Season-by-season results

Regular season Playoffs
Season Games Won Lost OTL SOL Points PCT Goals
for		 Goals
against		 Standing Year Prelims 1st
round		 2nd
round		 3rd
round		 Finals
2010–118044272797.6062652433rd, East2011—W, 4–2, HERW, 4–2, WBSL, 0–4, BNG—
2011–127638293685.5592092143rd, Midwest2012Did not qualify
2012–137642264492.6052262022nd, South2013—L, 2–3, OKC———
2013–147637361277.5072282414th, West2014Did not qualify
2014–157631386169.4541722314th, West2015Did not qualify
2015–167636323580.5262142295th, Central2016Did not qualify
2016–177639297186.5662122084th, Central2017—L, 2–3, CHI———
2017–187646261396.6322612123rd, Atlantic2018—W, 3–0, WBSL, 1–4, LV——
2018–1976511771110.7242551891st, Atlantic2019—W, 3–1, PROW, 4–0, HERW, 4–2, TORW, 4–1, CHI
2019–206134225073.5982021723rd, Atlantic2020Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21Did not participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic2021Did not participate
2021–227242245190.6252341971st, Atlantic2022BYEW, 3–1, BRIL, 0–3, SPR——
2022–237239255386.5972352203rd, Atlantic2023W, 2–1, LVL, 1–3, HER———
2023–247239267085.5902172034th, Atlantic2024L, 1–2, HFD————
2024–257244223394.6532341852nd, Atlantic2025BYEW, 3–2, PROW, 3–0, HERW, 4–0, LAVL, 2–4, ABB
2025–267244235093.6462381873rd, Atlantic2026L, 1–2, SPR————

Players

Current roster

Updated July 30, 2026.[19]

No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
– Canada William Bitten RW R 28 2026 Ottawa, Ontario Checkers
36 United States Brett Chorske C R 25 2025 Edina, Minnesota Checkers
– Canada Luca Fantilli D L 23 2026 Nobleton, Ontario Checkers
39 Canada Riese Gaber RW R 26 2024 Gilbert Plains, Manitoba Checkers
12 United States Colton Huard D R 25 2025 Foothill Ranch, California Checkers
37 Canada Riley Hughes RW R 26 2024 Westwood, Massachusetts Checkers
– Finland Kasper Lundell C L 22 2026 Espoo, Finland Checkers
7 United States Robert Mastrosimone LW L 25 2025 Bay Shore, New York Checkers
10 United States Liam McLinskey RW R 25 2025 Pearl River, New York Checkers
26 United States Brian Pinho C R 31 2025 Beverly, Massachusetts Checkers
– United States Vinnie Purpura G R 27 2026 Lemont, Illinois Checkers
15 United States Nate Smith C R 27 2025 Tampa, Florida Checkers
– United States Philip Tresca C R 24 2026 Boston, Massachusetts Checkers
8 Canada Mitch Vande Sompel D L 29 2024 London, Ontario Checkers

Team captains

American Hockey League Hall of Famers

AHL Hall of Fame Honored Members
Name Seasons Induction Year
Michael Leighton 2016-17 (player) 2025

Notable alumni

The following players have played both 100 games for the Charlotte Checkers and 100 games in the National Hockey League:

References

  1. ↑ Kane, Mike (June 28, 1990). "Cantanucci to Buy AHL Franchise For Troy, With Tie to Islanders". The Daily Gazette. Schenectady, NY. p. 1. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Google News.
  2. ↑ McCormick, Gene (June 29, 1990). "Indians switch tribes". The Republican. Springfield, MA. pp. 1, 45. Retrieved March 30, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Capital District Sports announce River Rats sale". Albany River Rats. February 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  4. ↑ "AHL Hockey coming to Charlotte in 2010-11". Charlotte Checkers. February 15, 2010. Archived from the original on February 19, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Charlotte added to AHL for 2010-11". American Hockey League. February 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  6. ↑ "CHECKERS DOUBLED UP, 4-2, IN HISTORIC OPENER". Charlotte Checkers. October 15, 2010. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  7. ↑ "CHECKERS BLANK WHALE IN FRONT OF RECORD CROWD!". Charlotte Checkers. February 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  8. ↑ Lasko, Seth (April 10, 2015). "Charlotte Checkers looking to leave Time Warner Cable Arena with team attendance record". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ Niedzielski, Nicholas (April 11, 2015). "Checkers fall to Rockford in front of record crowd". Charlotte Checkers. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ Brough, Jason (November 25, 2014). "The Charlotte Checkers would like to move back to Bojangles' Coliseum". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  11. ↑ Branecky, Paul (December 9, 2014). "Checkers Make Return to Bojangles' Coliseum Official". Charlotte Checkers. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  12. ↑ Spanberg, Erik (February 10, 2015). "Council backs Charlotte Checkers, arena". Charlotte Business Journal. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Charlotte City Council Approves Funding to Renovate Bojangles' Coliseum". Charlotte Checkers. December 8, 2014. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  14. ↑ "MARATHON MEN: PHANTOMS WIN LONGEST AHL GAME EVER". American Hockey League. May 10, 2018. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ Niedzielski, Nicholas (June 9, 2019). "CHECKERS WIN CALDER CUP CHAMPIONSHIP". Charlotte Checkers. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Wolves forge partnership with Carolina Hurricanes". Chicago Wolves. September 10, 2020. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  17. ↑ "28 teams to participate in 2020-21 AHL season". American Hockey League. January 4, 2021. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  18. ↑ Pelletier, Justin (July 2, 2021). "No longer affiliated with the Canes, the AHL's Checkers now have two NHL parent clubs". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Charlotte Checkers Team Roster". Charlotte Checkers. July 30, 2026. Retrieved July 30, 2026.


This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.