Checkers rookie makes habit of taking advantage of short-handed situations

Charlotte Checkers head coach Mike Vellucci said killing penalties was a big goal for his team this season.

But the Checkers not only are killing penalties this season – they’re scoring goals while short-handed, thanks to rookie Warren Foegele.

Foegele has an American Hockey League-high four short-handed goals this season, including one in the Checkers’ 4-1 victory Friday night over Springfield.

Charlotte completed a weekend sweep of the Bruins on Sunday, rallying from a 3-1 deficit for a 4-3 triumph.

“He’s a smart kid, and he seems to have the short-handed breakaways down,” Vellucci said after Friday’s game.

He scored two breakaway goals in the second period Friday night and added an empty-net goal in the final minutes. Foegele, a 21-year-old, 6-2 winger from Markham, Ontario, leads Charlotte with 12 goals and is tied for second with 17 points.

Foegele says the main goal of playing in short-handed situations is to prevent the other team from scoring but adds, “In juniors, I had some success there (short-handed goals), and it’s nice to contribute.”

Foegele was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2014, a year when he grew 5 inches. He played for a season at the University of New Hampshire and then spent two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. Several scouting services referred to him as a late-bloomer with excellent versatility.

Here’s an update on the Checkers:

Friday: Foegele’s hat trick, the first of his pro career, lifted the Checkers.

Sunday: Charlotte fell behind 3-1 but battled back, getting the winning goal from Aleksi Saarela with a little more than five minutes left.

Standings: The Checkers have climbed a notch to third in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.

What’s ahead: The Checkers hit the road, playing Friday at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (farm team of Pittsburgh). They visit the Binghamton Devils (New Jersey) on Saturday before returning home for games Dec. 12 and 13 against Laval (Montreal).

This story was originally published December 3, 2017 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Checkers rookie makes habit of taking advantage of short-handed situations."