Charlotte Checkers (2010–)

Charlotte Checkers
City Charlotte, North Carolina
League American Hockey League
Conference Western Conference
Division Midwest [1]
Founded 2010–11
Home arena Time Warner Cable Arena
Colors Red, Black, White and Silver
                   
Owner(s) MAK Hockey, LLC (Michael Kahn, president/CEO)
General manager Jeff Daniels
Head coach Jeff Daniels
Affiliates

Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)

Florida Everblades (ECHL)
Franchise history
1990–1993 Capital District Islanders
1993–2010 Albany River Rats
2010–present Charlotte Checkers
Championships
Regular season titles 2 1994–95, 1995–96
Division Championships 4 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
Calder Cups 1 1994–95

The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Checkers play their home games at Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte, also home to the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. The current organization is the third team by this name; it succeeded a Checkers franchise which 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 four teams which share a name with a predecessor from a lower-tier league; the other three are the Norfolk Admirals, Rockford IceHogs, and Peoria Rivermen.

Contents

History

The franchise was originally the Capital District Islanders from 1990–1993. They then became the Albany River Rats from 1993–2010, until the River Rats were sold to MAK Hockey, LLC, led by Michael Kahn.[2] 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. The Checkers' first home game was played on October 15, 2010, in front of 12,512 spectators which set an attendance record for a hockey game in Charlotte. On February 26, 2011, the attendance record was broken as 12,933 fans watched the Charlotte Checkers defeat the Connecticut Whale 1-0.[3][4]

Season-by-season results

Season GP W L OTL SOL PTS Goals
for
Goals
against
Standing
2010–11 80 44 27 2 7 97 265 243 3rd, East

Playoffs

Season 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Finals
2010–11 W, 4-2, HER W, 4-2, WBS L, 0-4, BIN

Current roster

Updated December 29, 2011.[5]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
34 Bellemore, BrettBrett Bellemore D R 23 2010 Windsor, Ontario Hurricanes
26 Blanchard, NicolasNicolas Blanchard (A) LW L 24 2010 Granby, Quebec Hurricanes
11 Boychuk, ZachZach Boychuk LW L 22 2010 Airdrie, Alberta Hurricanes
14 Durno, ChrisChris Durno (A) LW R 31 2011 Scarborough, ON Hurricanes
29 Jordan, MichalMichal Jordan D L 21 2010 Zlín, Czechoslovakia Hurricanes
3 Krueger, JustinJustin Krueger D R 25 2011 Düsseldorf, West Germany Hurricanes
10 Matsumoto, JonJon Matsumoto C L 25 2010 Ottawa, Ontario Hurricanes
23 McNicoll, CedricCedric McNicoll C L 23 2010 Longueuil, Quebec Hurricanes
31 Murphy, MikeMike Murphy G L 23 2010 Inverary, Ontario Hurricanes
21 Murray, ChrisChris Murray D R 27 2011 Dover, Massachusetts Checkers
1 Muse, JohnJohn Muse G L 23 2011 East Falmouth, Massachusetts Checkers
20 Nash, RileyRiley Nash C R 22 2010 Kamloops, British Columbia Hurricanes
15 Pistilli, MatthewMatthew Pistilli RW R 23 2010 Montreal, Quebec Hurricanes
2 Rissanen, RasmusRasmus Rissanen D L 20 2011 Kuopio, Finland Hurricanes
33 Roy, MathieuMathieu Roy D R 28 2011 Saint-Georges, Quebec Hurricanes
17 Samson, JeromeJerome Samson RW R 24 2010 Greenfield Park, Quebec Hurricanes
6 Sanguinetti, BobbyBobby Sanguinetti D R 24 2010 Trenton, New Jersey Hurricanes
24 Shugg, JustinJustin Shugg LW R 20 2011 Niagara Falls, Ontario Hurricanes
22 Staal, JaredJared Staal RW R 21 2010 Thunder Bay, Ontario Hurricanes
18 Soryal, JustinJustin Soryal LW L 24 2011 Newmarket, Ontario Hurricanes
7 Sutter, BrettBrett Sutter (C) C L 24 2010 Viking, Alberta Hurricanes
25 Terry, ChrisChris Terry LW L 22 2010 Brampton, Ontario Hurricanes

References

External links