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	Gregory Campbell
Head coach	Geordie Kinnear
Captain	Zac Dalpe
Media	AHL.TV (Internet)
Affiliates	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	1 (2018–19)
Calder Cups	1 (2018–19)

The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team. They play in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team is part of the American Hockey League (AHL). This league is a step below the top professional league, the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Checkers are the main minor league team for the Florida Panthers of the NHL. This means players often move between the two teams. The Checkers play their home games at Bojangles' Coliseum. This team is the third one to use the "Charlotte Checkers" name. Earlier teams played in different leagues in Charlotte.

History of the Charlotte Checkers

The team you know today started in Troy, New York, in 1990. Back then, they were called the Capital District Islanders. In 1993, they moved and became the Albany River Rats. They played under that name until 2010.

In 2010, a new owner bought the team. He moved them to Charlotte, North Carolina. This owner, Michael Kahn, already owned the ECHL Checkers team in Charlotte. He renamed the new team the "Charlotte Checkers." This brought a higher level of hockey to the city.

The Checkers became linked with the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team. This was a good idea because it made it easier for players to switch between the AHL and NHL teams.

First Games and Fan Records

The Charlotte Checkers played their first home game on October 15, 2010. A huge crowd of 12,512 fans came to watch. This set a new record for hockey attendance in Charlotte. Fans kept coming to games. The attendance record was broken several times over the next few years. On April 11, 2015, 13,219 fans watched their last game at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Moving Back Home

In 2014, the team decided to move back to Bojangles' Coliseum. This arena was the home of earlier Checkers teams. The owner, Michael Kahn, wanted to connect with the team's history. Moving to their own arena also gave the team more control. This included things like game schedules and fan experiences. The city of Charlotte spent $16 million to update the Coliseum. This made sure it was ready for AHL games.

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

Longest Game Ever

On May 9, 2018, the Checkers played a very long game. It was against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the playoffs. The game went into five overtime periods! It lasted over six hours. This made it the longest game in the history of the American Hockey League. The Phantoms finally scored to win the game. The Checkers took 95 shots on goal during that game.

Winning the Calder Cup

The 2018–19 season was the best season for the Checkers. They won their first division title. They also earned the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy. This award goes to the team with the best record in the league. It was the first time a Charlotte hockey team had more than 100 points in a season since 1975.

The Checkers made it to their first Calder Cup final. They beat the defending champions, the Toronto Marlies. In the final, they played against the Chicago Wolves. The Checkers won the series in five games. This was their first AHL championship! It was also the seventh hockey championship for a Charlotte-based team.

New Affiliations

After the 2019–20 season, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the playoffs to be canceled. The Carolina Hurricanes then ended their partnership with the Checkers. The Checkers then became linked with the Florida Panthers instead. Because of the pandemic, the Checkers did not play in the 2020–21 season.

When they returned for the 2021–22 season, they were still with the Panthers. They also agreed to be a minor league team for the new Seattle Kraken team. The Kraken's general manager, Ron Francis, used to work for the Hurricanes.

Team Captains

The team captain is a very important player. They lead the team on and off the ice. Here are the players who have been captains for the Charlotte Checkers: