Charlotte Checkers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlotte Checkers
City	Charlotte, North Carolina
League	American Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	Atlantic
Founded	1990
Home arena	Bojangles Coliseum
Colors	Red, black, silver, white
Owner(s)	Zawyer Sports & Entertainment
General manager	Paul Krepelka
Head coach	Geordie Kinnear
Captain	Vacant
Media	WAME, AHL.TV (Internet)
Affiliate(s)	Florida Panthers (NHL) Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL)
Franchise history
1990–1993	Capital District Islanders
1993–2010	Albany River Rats
2010–present	Charlotte Checkers
Championships
Regular season titles	1 (2018–19)
Division Championships	2 (2018–19, 2021–22)
Conference Championships	2 (2018–19, 2024–25)
Calder Cups	1 (2018–19)
Current uniform
Current season

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

The team you see today is the third ice hockey team with the name Checkers. An earlier Checkers team played in the ECHL from 1993 to 2010. Before that, the first Checkers team played in Charlotte from 1956 to 1977. They were part of the Eastern Hockey League and then the Southern Hockey League. The current Checkers team is one of a few teams that took over the name from an older team in a lower league.

Team History

Early Years and Move to Charlotte

The team started in Troy, New York, in 1990. Back then, they were called the Capital District Islanders. In 1993, they changed their name to the Albany River Rats. They played as the River Rats until 2010.

In 2010, the River Rats team was sold. A businessman named Michael Kahn bought them. He already owned the ECHL Checkers team in Charlotte. He decided to move the AHL team to Charlotte. This happened for the 2010–11 season. The team was renamed the "Charlotte Checkers." The ECHL team was then given back to the league.

The Charlotte Checkers became the second team from North Carolina to play in the top minor league for hockey. The Carolina Monarchs played in Greensboro from 1995 to 1997. The Checkers also kept their connection with the Carolina Hurricanes. This was a popular idea at the time. It helped NHL teams have their minor league teams close by. This made it easier for players to move between the AHL and NHL.

Record-Breaking Crowds

The AHL Checkers played their first home game on October 15, 2010. It was at the Time Warner Cable Arena. A huge crowd of 12,512 fans came to watch. This set a new record for hockey attendance in Charlotte.

Fans kept showing up in big numbers. On February 26, 2011, 12,933 fans watched the Checkers win. Almost a year later, on February 25, 2012, the record was broken again. 13,102 fans watched a game. The record was broken one more time on April 11, 2015. 13,219 fans watched the last Checkers game at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Return to Bojangles' Coliseum

In late 2014, the Checkers announced a big change. They would move back to the Bojangles' Coliseum for the next season. This arena was the home of the older Checkers teams until 2005. Michael Kahn said this move would help connect the team to its past.

Having their own arena also gave the team more control. They could better manage game schedules and fan experiences. The Charlotte City Council helped make this move possible. They provided $16 million for renovations. This made sure the Coliseum was ready for AHL games. The Time Warner Cable Arena was large, but it wasn't perfect for hockey. Many seats had blocked views.

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

Longest Game and Calder Cup Win

On May 9, 2018, the Checkers played a historic game. It was against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This game became the longest in American Hockey League history. It lasted more than six hours! The Phantoms scored the winning goal in the fifth overtime period. The Checkers took 95 shots on goal during that game.

The 2018–19 season was the best for the Checkers so far. They won their first division title. They earned 110 points, which was the most in the league. This was the first time a Charlotte hockey team scored over 100 points since 1974–75. They then won the Eastern Conference finals. This sent them to their first Calder Cup final. They played against the Chicago Wolves and won in five games. This was their first AHL championship! It was also the seventh hockey championship for a Charlotte-based team.

Recent Seasons and Affiliations

The 2019–20 season was cut short. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Calder Cup was not given out that year. After this, the Carolina Hurricanes ended their connection with the Checkers. This had lasted for ten seasons.

The Checkers then teamed up with the Florida Panthers. This new partnership started with the 2020–21 season. However, because of the pandemic, the Checkers did not play in the 2020–21 AHL season. When they returned for the 2021–22 season, they were still connected to the Panthers. They also agreed to work with the new Seattle Kraken team. The Kraken's general manager, Ron Francis, used to work for the Hurricanes. He was there when they were still linked to the Checkers.

The Checkers had a strong 2024–25 season. They finished second in their division. They made it to the Calder Cup Finals but lost to the Abbotsford Canucks.

Team Captains