Charlotte Checkers, NHL’s Florida Panthers announce hockey partnership
.JPG "Charlotte Checkers goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, right, stops a shot on goal during Game 1 of the AHL Calder Cup Finals against the Chicago Wolves at Bojangles’ Coliseum on Saturday.")
The Charlotte Checkers made it official Thursday. They’ll be the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers this season.
The Panthers and Checkers announced a multi-year affiliation, culminating a series of moves by NHL teams that left Florida and Charlotte looking for partners.
The Checkers, who won the AHL’s Calder Cup championship in 2019, had been affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes since Charlotte moved into the AHL in the 2010-11 season.
The Florida Panthers’ AHL affiliate had been the Springfield Thunderbirds in recent seasons.
The Hurricanes are moving their AHL affiliation to the Chicago Wolves.
“We are very fortunate to have found a great partner in the Florida Panthers,” Checkers Chief Operating Officer Tera Black said. “We feel confident that this relationship will allow us to continue producing a high-level product, while providing a great environment for player development.”
Panthers’ President and CEO Matthew Caldwell said the Checkers’ organization “has found success and constructed a winning culture. We are thrilled for the opportunities that this partnership provides for our young players and the future of our franchise.”
The Carolina Hurricanes have what is generally considered one of the top two or three farm systems in the NHL, while the Florida Panthers were ranked 10th recently by a group of hockey writers.
The Panthers took steps to improve the farm system with the recent hiring of Bill Zito as general manager. Zito formerly worked in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ organization and earned praise for the work he did with the Columbus farm system. The Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, won the Calder Cup in 2016 and regularly qualified for the league’s playoffs in recent seasons.
Charlotte hockey fans will notice no off-the-ice differences, Checkers’ officials say. The team will continue to play at Bojangles Coliseum, with the same team name, colors, uniforms and branding. The front-office staff also will remain.
The changes will be on the ice, with players and a coaching staff that is new to Charlotte.
Not all the players will be new, however. Springfield’s roster in the 2019-20 season included a pair of former Checkers — defenseman Chase Priskie and center Aleksi Saarela. Priskie scored 31 points for Charlotte last season before being traded in February. Saarela was among Charlotte’s leading scorers in the 2018-19 championship season, before he was traded.
A big question is when the 2020-21 season will start.
The AHL curtailed the 2019-20 campaign in mid-March, due to the spread of COVID-19. The AHL says the earliest it will start the 2020-21 season is Dec. 4.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Charlotte Checkers, NHL’s Florida Panthers announce hockey partnership."