Charlotte Checkers
CityCharlotte, North Carolina
LeagueECHL
Operated1993–2010
Home arenaTime Warner Cable Arena
ColorsPowder blue, navy blue, red, white
       
Owner(s)Michael Kahn
Franchise history
1993–2010Charlotte Checkers
Championships
Regular season titlesnone
Division titlesnone
Conference titles1995-96
Kelly Cups1995-96

The Charlotte Checkers were an American ice hockey team in Charlotte, North Carolina, and played in the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League).

Franchise history

Following a 17-year break from ice hockey, the Checkers returned in 1993 and made the playoffs ten times, including winning the ECHL Championship in 1996.[1]

The Checkers franchise was founded in 1993, and was owned by a consortium headed by local auto dealer and NASCAR team owner Felix Sabates, with former Charlotte Hornets president Carl Scheer and NASCAR drivers Richard and Kyle Petty among the minority partners. They played in the old Charlotte Coliseum, which was heavily renovated and renamed Independence Arena.[2]

Soon after winning the Jack Riley Cup in 1996, Sabates sold controlling interest minority partner Tim Braswell, who claimed he could make the team more popular. However, in a case of exceptionally bad timing, this came just as the NFL's Carolina Panthers were due to open their new downtown stadium. The team's popularity faded, forcing Braswell to sell the Checkers to Hornets owners George Shinn and Ray Wooldrige in 2000 for $3 million. However, Shinn and Wooldridge were unable to revive the team at the gate, forcing them to sell the team back to Sabates and Scheer for $500,000. By comparison, Sabates had sold the team in 1996 for $5 million.[2]

The Checkers played at the old coliseum, which was later renamed Cricket Arena, until 2005 when they moved to Time Warner Cable Arena in downtown Charlotte. The team set their all-time attendance record of 12,398 on February 21, 2009 in a 5-2 win against the Florida Everblades.[3] Their previous record was 11,237 in a loss against the Texas Wildcatters in February 2007.[4]

On January 21, 2010, it was reported that Michael Kahn, who had bought the team from Sabates and Scheer in 2006, was in talks to buy the Albany River Rats, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes.[5] On February 10, the sale of the River Rats to Kahn was confirmed. Kahn then moved the Rats to Charlotte and changed their name to the Checkers starting with the 2010–11 season. As a result of this, Kahn returned the Checkers ECHL franchise to the ECHL at the end of the 2009–10 ECHL season, ending the franchise's ECHL history.[6][7]

Season-by-season record

Records as of 2009–10 season.[8]

Season Conference Division Regular Season Post Season Result Individual & team honors
GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pct GF GA Coach
1993–94 East 68 39 25 1 3 82 0.574 281 271 John Marks Lost in round 1
1994–95 East 68 37 22 4 5 83 0.544 274 261 John Marks Lost in round 1
1995–96 East 70 45 21 4 94 0.643 294 250 John Marks Won Championship Riley Cup
Riley Cup MVP (Nick Vitucci)
1996–97 East 70 35 28 7 77 0.55 271 267 John Marks Lost in round 1
1997–98 Southern Southeast 70 35 24 11 81 0.579 251 237 John Marks Lost in round 2
1998–99 Southern Southeast 70 29 30 11 69 0.493 221 262 Shawn Wheeler Out of Playoffs
1999–00 Southern Northeast 70 25 38 7 54 0.357 186 254 Shawn Wheeler
Don MacAdam		 Out of Playoffs
2000–01 Southern Northeast 72 34 26 6 6 80 0.556 247 252 Don MacAdam Lost in round 2 ECHL MVP (Scott King)
Leading Scorer (Scott King)
2001–02 Southern Northeast 72 41 20 3 8 93 0.646 256 207 Don MacAdam Lost in round 2
2002–03 Southern Northeast 72 41 28 3 0 85 0.59 262 234 Don MacAdam Out of Playoffs
2003–04 Eastern Southern 72 31 32 4 5 71 0.493 206 230 Don MacAdam
Derek Wilkinson		 Out of Playoffs
2004–05 American East 72 39 26 2 5 85 0.59 226 219 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 3
2005–06 American South 72 33 34 2 3 71 0.493 232 254 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 1
2006–07 American South 72 42 27 1 2 87 0.604 252 220 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 2
2007–08 American South 72 34 31 1 6 75 0.472 212 219 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 1
2008–09 American South 71 34 29 2 6 76 0.535 217 224 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 1
2009–10 American South 72 43 21 4 4 94 0.653 253 223 Derek Wilkinson Lost in round 2
Totals12056174623393 41414084 1 Riley Cup
3 individual player awards

Notes: There were no conferences in the ECHL prior to the 1997–98 season. Games tied at end of regulation went directly to shootout from 1995–2000

Playoffs

  • 1993–94: Lost to Greensboro 2-1 in first round.
  • 1994–95: Lost to Greensboro 3-0 in first round.
  • 1995–96: Defeated Roanoke 3-0 in first round; defeated South Carolina 3-2 in quarterfinals; defeated Tallahassee 3-1 in semifinals; defeated Jacksonville 4-0 to win championship.
  • 1996–97: Lost to South Carolina 3-0 in first round.
  • 1997–98: Defeated Birmingham 3-1 in first round; lost to Pensacola 3-0 in quarterfinals.
  • 1998–99: Did not qualify.
  • 1999–00: Did not qualify.
  • 2000–01: Lost to Dayton 3-2 in first round.
  • 2001–02: Lost to Atlantic City 3-2 in first round.
  • 2002–03: Did not qualify.
  • 2003–04: Did not qualify.
  • 2004–05: Defeated Columbia 3-2 in first round; defeated Gwinnett 3-1 in quarterfinals; lost to Florida 4-2 in semifinals.
  • 2005–06: Lost to South Carolina 2-1 in first round.
  • 2006–07: Lost to Florida 3-0 in first round.
  • 2007–08: Lost to Gwinnett 3-0 in first round.
  • 2008–09: Lost to South Carolina 4-2 in first round.
  • 2009–10: Defeated Toledo 3-1 in first round; lost to Cincinnati 4-2 in quarterfinals.

Team records

Single season

Goals: 48 Russia Sergei Berdnikov (1993–94)
Assists: 61 United States Matt Robbins (1994–95), Canada Scott King (2000–01), United States Kevin Hilton (2000–01)
Points: 101 Canada Scott King (2000–01)
Penalty Minutes: 352 Canada Eric Boulton (1996–97)
GAA: 2.43 United States Scott Meyer (2003–04)
SV%: .923 United States Scott Meyer (2003–04), United States Jeff Jakaitis (2008–09),
Wins: 32 Canada Nick Vitucci (1995–96)
Shutouts: 3 United States Scott Meyer (2003–04), United States Alex Westlund (2006–07)
  • Goaltending records need a minimum 25 games played by the goaltender

| text_color = white | bg_color = #6495ED | team = Charlotte Checkers

Career

Career Goals: 174 United StatesDarryl Noren
Career Assists: 229 United States Darryl Noren
Career Points: 403 United States Darryl Noren
Career Penalty Minutes: 213 CanadaSteve MacIntyre

Notable players

Retired numbers

  • 4 – Kurt Seher

References

  1. ↑ Mancuso, Jeff; Pat Kelly (2005). Hockey in Charlotte. Arcadia Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 0-7385-4230-X. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Spanberg, Erik (November 3, 2015). "Sabates looks back as Checkers ready coliseum makeover reveal". Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Gamesheet: Florida at Charlotte - Feb 21, 2009". Hockeytech.com. February 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Gamesheet: Texas at Charlotte - Feb 10, 2007". Hockeytech.com. February 10, 2007. Archived from the original on 2021-02-07. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  5. ↑ Lavalette, Cory (January 22, 2010). "AHL To Charlotte Closer To Becoming A Reality?". Canes Country. SB Nation. Archived from the original on 2010-01-24. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Capital District Sports Announces River Rats Sale" (PDF). WNYT. Albany River Rats. February 9, 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  7. ↑ "ECHL Concludes Mid-Season Board of Governors Meeting". ECHL. February 17, 2010. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Season-by-season record". HockeyDB. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
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