Charlotte Checkers (1993–2010)

Charlotte Checkers
City Charlotte, North Carolina
League ECHL
Operated 1993–2010
Home arena Time Warner Cable Arena
Colors Powder blue, navy blue, red, white
                   
Owner(s) Michael Kahn
Franchise history
1993–2010 Charlotte Checkers
Championships
Regular season titles none
Division Championships none
Conference Championships none
Kelly Cups 1995–96

The Charlotte Checkers were an American ice hockey team in Charlotte, North Carolina, and played in the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League).

Contents

Franchise history

Following a 17-year hiatus from hockey, Charlotte welcomed the Checkers back in 1993. After their return, the Checkers made the playoffs ten times, including winning the ECHL Championship in 1996.[1]

The current Checkers franchise was founded in 1993 and played from then until 2005 in Bojangles' Coliseum. In 2005, they moved to Time Warner Cable Arena. The team set their all time attendance record of 12,398 on February 21, 2009 in a 5-2 win against the Florida Everblades. Their previous record was 11,237 in a loss against the Texas Wildcatters in February 2007.

On January 21, 2010, it was reported that negotiations may be in the works for the owner of the Checkers to buy the Albany River Rats, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes.[2] On February 10, the sale of the River Rats to the Checkers owner was confirmed, with the Rats taking on the Checkers identity starting with the 2010-11 season. As a result of this, the Checkers' ECHL membership was relinquished to the League at the end of the 2009-10 ECHL season, ending the franchise's ECHL history.[3][4]

Season-by-season record

Records as of 2009-10 season.[5]

Season League Division GP W L T OTL SOL PTS PCT GF GA PIM Coach(es) Result
1993–94 ECHL East 68 39 25 4 1 3 82 0.574 281 271 1519 John Marks Lost in round 1
1994–95 ECHL East 68 37 22 9 4 5 83 0.544 274 261 1949 John Marks Lost in round 1
1995–96 ECHL East 70 45 21 4 - 4 94 0.643 294 250 2251 John Marks Won Championship
1996–97 ECHL East 70 35 28 7 - 7 77 0.550 271 267 1799 John Marks Lost in round 1
1997–98 ECHL Southeast 70 35 24 11 - 11 81 0.579 251 237 1662 John Marks Lost in round 2
1998–99 ECHL Southeast 70 29 30 11 - 11 69 0.493 221 262 1264 Shawn Wheeler

Out of Playoffs
1999–00 ECHL Northeast 70 25 38 7 - 7 54 0.357 186 254 1680 Shawn Wheeler
Don MacAdam		 Out of Playoffs
2000–01 ECHL Northeast 72 34 26 12 6 6 80 0.556 247 252 1416 Don MacAdam Lost in round 2
2001–02 ECHL Northeast 72 41 20 11 3 8 93 0.646 256 207 1599 Don MacAdam Lost in round 2
2002–03 ECHL Northeast 72 41 28 3 3 0 85 0.590 262 234 1735 Don MacAdam Out of Playoffs
2003–04 ECHL Southern 72 31 32 9 4 5 71 0.493 206 230 1460 Don MacAdam
Derek Wilkinson		 Out of Playoffs
2004–05 ECHL East 72 39 26 7 2 5 85 0.590 226 219 1301 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 3
2005–06 ECHL South 72 33 34 5 2 3 71 0.493 232 254 1634 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 1
2006–07 ECHL South 72 42 27 3 1 2 87 0.604 252 220 1546 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 2
2007–08 ECHL South 72 34 31 7 1 6 75 0.472 212 219 1276 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 1
2008-09 ECHL South 71 34 29 8 2 6 76 0.535 217 224 1332 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 1
2009-10 ECHL South 72 43 21  ? 4 4 94 0.653 253 223  ? Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 2

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T* = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, PTS = Points, PCT = Winning Percentage, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes -T* Includes Overtime and Shootout Losses(Games tied at end of regulation went directly to shootout from 1995–2000)

Team records

Single season

Goals: 48 Sergei Berdnikov (1993-94)
Assists: 61 Matt Robbins (1994-95), Scott King (2000-01), Kevin Hilton (2000-01)
Points: 101 Scott King (2000-01)
Penalty Minutes: 352 Eric Boulton (1996-97)
GAA: 2.43 Scott Meyer (2003-04)
SV%: .923 Scott Meyer (2003-04), Jeff Jakaitis (2008-09),
Wins: 32 Nick Vitucci (1995-96)
Shutouts: 3 Scott Meyer(2003-04), Alex Westlund(2006-07)

Career

Career Goals: 174 Darryl Noren
Career Assists: 229 Darryl Noren
Career Points: 403 Darryl Noren
Career Penalty Minutes: 213 Steve MacIntyre

Notable players

Retired numbers

References

  1. ^ Mancuso, Jeff; Pat Kelly (2005). Hockey in Charlotte. Arcadia Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 0-7385-4230-X. http://books.google.com/books?id=eQALBnDckHUC&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=Charlotte+Checkers+riley+cup+1996&source=bl&ots=um0BvTSHCX&sig=2sQSmDhMWeZC-LHwg_AL6W0lqu8&hl=en&ei=RGIWTozJFOHl0QGkm9R2&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CC4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Charlotte%20Checkers%20riley%20cup%201996&f=false. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
  2. ^ Wage, Bob (January 22, 2010). "AHL To Charlotte Closer To Becoming A Reality?". Canes Country. http://www.canescountry.com/2010/1/22/1265397/ahl-to-charlotte-closer-to. Retrieved September 3, 2010. 
  3. ^ Press release (February 9, 2010). "Capital District Sports Announces River Rats Sale". Albany River Rats Hockey. http://wnyt.com/wnytimages/2-9-10%20River%20Rats%20release.pdf. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
  4. ^ Press release (February 17, 2010). "ECHL Concludes Mid-Season Board of Governors Meeting". ECHL.com. http://echl.com/echl-concludes-mid-season-br-board-of-governors-meeting-p165278. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
  5. ^ "Season-by-season record". hockeydb.com. 2008-12-01. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/display_standings.php?tmi=5177. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 

External links

Preceded by
Richmond Renegades		 Riley Cup Champions
1995–96		 Succeeded by
South Carolina Stingrays
Relocated
(still active)
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (Stockton Thunder) · Birmingham Bulls (Stockton Thunder)  · Columbus Chill (Reading Royals)  · Huntington Blizzard (Ontario Reign)  · Huntsville Blast (Utah Grizzlies)  · Johnstown Chiefs (Greenville Road Warriors)  · Lexington Men O' War (Utah Grizzlies)  · Louisville River Frogs (Cincinnati Cyclones)  · Macon Whoopee (Utah Grizzlies)  · Miami Matadors (Cincinnati Cyclones)  · Mobile Mysticks (Gwinnett Gladiators)  · Tallahassee Tiger Sharks (Utah Grizzlies)  · Texas Wildcatters (Ontario Reign)  · Virginia Lancers (Utah Grizzlies)
Suspended
franchises
Columbia Inferno (suspended following 2007–08 season; earliest return 2012–13 season)
Defunct
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