Yahoo Sports Charlotte Checkers’ home opener stirs some memories of championship season
The Charlotte Checkers opened their 2018-19 season on the road, came home unbeaten, and had a defenseman named Trevor Carrick in the lineup.
That team went on to win the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup.
The Checkers team that will open its home AHL season Friday night at Bojangles Coliseum opened on the road last weekend and won both games.
Oh, yeah ... Trevor Carrick is back in the lineup.
It’s an older Carrick, but he and the Checkers will carry an unbeaten record into home games Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.) against the Cleveland Monsters.
“It’s great to be playing in an organization with a winning culture,” said Carrick, who has spent the last five years mostly in the San Jose Sharks organization but signed with the Checkers’ NHL parent club, the Florida Panthers, in the offseason.
There are a rink full of changes from that 2018-19 season.
The Checkers are the top minor league affiliate of the Florida Panthers, the defending NHL Stanley Cup champion. Five years ago, their parent team was the Carolina Hurricanes.
And the vast majority of the players on this 2024-25 Checkers’ roster were playing junior hockey when Charlotte won the AHL championship.
But you can’t snicker at a 2-0 start in which Charlotte showed two different personalities. The Checkers played wide-open, high-scoring hockey Saturday in rallying for a 7-6 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Then on Sunday, goalkeeper Ken Appleby made 21 saves in Charlotte’s 3-0 shutout of Bridgeport.
“We’re certainly happy to be 2-0,” Checkers’ coach Geordie Kinnear said Tuesday after his team finished a morning practice at Bojangles Coliseum. “But we made a lot of mistakes. We have a lot to work on. All of that’s to be expected.”
Still, certain trends seemed apparent last weekend:
Vets in the net
Appleby, who had the shutout in goal Sunday, is 29 and in his 10th professional season. Chris Driedger, another Checkers’ goalkeeper, is 30 and starting his 11th season as a pro.
The other goalie is Cooper Black, a 23-year-old who is 6-foot-8.
Appleby and Driedger give the Checkers veteran experience in goal.
“That’s huge,” Carrick said. “Having someone back there who’s a veteran helps keep the rest of the team settled down. We know they’ve got our backs.”
Kinnear added, “When you have guys like that in the locker room, the younger guys can learn a lot from them.”
Promising young players
Meet Aidan McDonough. He’s a 25-year-old winger who signed with the Checkers in July. This is only his second season as a professional.
He scored two goals Saturday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and followed with two more against Bridgeport. That puts McDonough at the top of the AHL scoring statistics.
“He works hard and puts in a lot of effort,” center Zac Dalpe, who at age 34 is one of the team’s older hands, said of McDonough. “He always works hard in practice, and it’s nice to see him rewarded for what he’s been doing.”
Several other players who had a goal or an assist last weekend are in the early to mid 20s.
“The opening game was an education for a lot of the younger guys,” Kinnear said. “But I’m super excited about what we have here.”
By the way, the special teams were excellent last weekend. The Checkers successfully killed 13 of 14 penalties and scored three short-handed goals.
A winning tradition
The Checkers have made the AHL playoffs five straight seasons. They’ve finished in the top 10 in AHL attendance each of the last five seasons.
“I wasn’t here when they won the Calder Cup,” said Dalpe, who played in Charlotte from 2010 to 2013 before returning for the 2021-22 campaign. “But I have a lot of great memories here.
“This is a great organization, and there’s a lot of support here,” he added.
Carrick said he is looking forward to seeing the Checkers’ fans again.
“I can’t wait to see them,” he said. “This is a great place to play hockey.”
Checkers’ opening weekend promotions
The Checkers are offering a promotion for both games this weekend, with $49 getting fans a game ticket and a T-shirt commemorating the team’s 15th season in the AHL. This ticket package can be purchased online at www.charlottecheckers.com.
And the My First Checkers Game promotion will be offered Saturday, with $5 tickets available for children 12 and younger. For an additional $10, children will get a mini hockey stick and foam ball. These tickets must be purchased online.
