Controversial call in double overtime dooms Charlotte Checkers in Calder Cup opener
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Charlotte Checkers dropped Game 1 in double overtime to Abbotsford Canucks.
- Controversial disallowed goal in 2OT sparked confusion and player frustration.
- Checkers seek rebound in Game 2 as Calder Cup title hopes remain alive.
Navigating the usually snarled corridors leading from uptown is difficult on just a normal evening, often making even the most mundane commute a nervy test.
Friday nights in the summer can be especially teeth-gnawing, particularly when traffic floods down Independence Boulevard after backing along the Brookshire Freeway. Just a normal rush hour excursion anywhere within the spokes of uptown features bumper-to-bumper traffic that necessitates a constant peek at Waze to see what’s the best route to avoid the madness.
But on this occasion, a chunk of the congestion could be attributed to thousands of people flocking to Bojangles Coliseum, producing a record crowd of 8,667 — all to see the hottest team in the American Hockey League begin its quest for the Calder Cup.
Seeking their first league championship since 2019, the Charlotte Checkers have a hole to climb out of after falling to the Abbortsford Canucks, 4-3 in double overtime, in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. Game 2 is set for 4 p.m. Sunday at Bojangles Coliseum.
“It’s a game of mistakes — double overtime, mental, physical, toughness kind of takes a toll a little bit,” Checkers head coach Geordie Kinnear said. “They made a play at the end. On the power play, guy made a great shot, post and in. We had our opportunities, too, and didn’t get the job done.”
They thought they did not long before Abbotsford’s Danila Klimovich scored at the 10:25 of the second overtime. The Checkers had a goal waved off 3:40 into the second overtime when Abbotsford won a face-off in its own zone and fired the puck into its own net as goalie Arturs Silovs’ back was turned to the play, while adjusting his helmet.
“It was a weird play,” defenseman Trevor Carrick said. “I don’t really know what was going on. It just looked like the goalie was not ready and typically their center, he won’t line up until his guys are ready. And he lined up and snapped it back into his own net. It was a weird play.
“I don’t really know the ruling there, but I thought we had the win there. But apparently not.”
Things changed in a blink after that, highlighted by Klimovich’s goal.
“It’s tough,” Carrick said. “I was kind of looking at the refs right away and they were huddled on and I didn’t know what was going on. I tried not to get too fired up, but obviously the guys were pretty amped up.
“It was a long game and we were looking forward to finishing it off. I thought we did a good job of forgetting about it and trying to move on, but tough power play goal against there.”
The Checkers are trying to do their part to etch their name in hockey lore.
An AHL club and its NHL affiliate have captured their respective league championships in the same calendar just three times and it’s happened only once since the original “Star Wars” movie was released. That highlights the difficulty in pulling it off.
But with the Florida Panthers knotted at 2-2 against the Edmonton Oilers in their battle for the Stanley Cup, it could be in the cards, putting the Checkers in rare company.
In 1976 and 1977, the Montreal Canadiens secured the Stanley Cup and the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, their AHL affiliate, grabbed the Calder Cup. The only other occasion came three decades ago in 1995, when the New Jersey Devils won Lord Stanley’s trophy and the Albany River Rats took home the Calder Cup.
It nearly happened during the Checkers’ last run to the Calder Cup, when they were affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes, but the Hurricanes lost in the Eastern Conference Final, foiling the opportunity.
In essence, the Checkers are hoping this final series is just a continuation of a dominant stretch that’s lasted nearly two months. Charlotte dethroned defending champion Hershey followed by a dismantling of regular-season champion Laval, becoming the first team to accomplish the feat in the same postseason since the Checkers did it in 2011.
Prior to Charlotte pulling it off that year, it hadn’t been done since 1972. It’s why the Checkers understand what’s in front of them and the importance of righting things after a tough defeat.
“That’s all playoffs, right?” Carrick said. “Your highs aren’t getting too high and your lows aren’t getting too low. Just stay even-keeled and move on. That’s all you can do.
“Just rinse it down the drain, and move on to the next one and expect better from out group on Sunday.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2025 at 12:21 AM.
