They’re back! Charlotte Checkers will return to the ice next season
Professional hockey will return to Charlotte this fall.
The Charlotte Checkers, who can still claim they’re the reigning Calder Cup champions, announced Thursday that they’ll return to the ice for the 2021-22 season with opening weekend set for Oct. 22-23.
Charlotte opted out of the current AHL season due to coronavirus concerns after the pandemic abruptly ended the 2019-20 season. The Checkers made the decision to opt out in January with team owner Michael Kahn saying then it was in the best interest of the team and their NHL parent club, the Florida Panthers, to not play. At the time, Charlotte was one of three AHL teams to opt out.
This AHL season has been limited to the Pacific Division with seven teams, and its playoffs are in the championship round. The winner will get the John D. Chick Trophy; the Calder Cup will not be awarded this year.
“Despite the travel and business challenges involved with this year, we feel that this decision will not impact our player development system as we continue to provide necessary environments for growth,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in January. “We look forward to the continuation of our partnership with the Checkers organization and the puck drop of 2021-22 in Charlotte.”
The 2021-22 season will be the Checkers’ first to play as an affiliate of the Panthers. Last September, the team parted ways with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes agreed to a three-year affiliation with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last year.
Checkers games are played at Bojangles’ Coliseum.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 12:12 PM.
