Charlotte Checkers News & Stories
Insights, analysis, and news about Charlotte Checkers from the Elite Prospects editorial team. Stay updated with expert coverage on Charlotte Checkers, including key stories and in-depth articles.
2024-08-19, 20:00Prospect Pool Rankings
EP Rinkside 2024 NHL Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 31-ranked Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers have the 31st-ranked prospect pool going into the 2024-25 NHL season.
2024-06-09, 15:03NHLSpencer Knight hasn't been forgotten by the Florida Panthers or their fans
The heir apparent in goal in Florida took time away to get himself right, the fan base never stopped appreciating him.
2022-09-20, 15:48Prospect Pool RankingsEP Rinkside 2022 NHL Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 24-ranked Florida Panthers
The EP Rinkside prospect pool ranking series continues with a look at the Florida Panthers and their 24th-ranked system.
2022-02-11, 15:00NHL ProspectsMack Guzda helps the Florida Panthers stack the deck in goal
The Florida Panthers snagged one of the top CHL free agents of this year's cycle earlier this week when they grabbed Mack Guzda with an entry-level contract. EP Rinkside goaltender columnist Catherine Silverman breaks down his game, exploring why it was a prudent decision.
2021-10-21, 16:30NHL ProspectsThe 5 prospects with the most to prove in the 2021-22 season
The distance between a bust prospect and a full-time NHL contributor is a thin one. Today, Elite Prospects Dir. of North American scouting Mitch Brown looks at five players who are on the verge of bust territory who need to prove otherwise in the 2021-22 season.
2021-10-04, 06:23Prospect Pool RankingsEP Rinkside 2021-22 Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 9-ranked Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers boast the ninth-best prospect pool in the NHL according to our scouts, and they're the next team in our EP Rinkside prospect pool rankings countdown.
2021-04-15, 17:30AHLAround The AHL: Tufto taking it pro in Syracuse
“Honestly, it really kind of hasn't hit yet.” Patrick Williams reports on NCAA star Odeen Tufto's start with the Syracuse Crunch.
2021-02-05, 16:00AHLAHL Season Preview: A year unlike any other awaits the NHL's top developmental league
Patrick Williams offers an expansive preview of the AHL season, offering a glimpse into what things are going to look like for the NHL's top developmental league as they embark on a year unlike any other.
2021-01-12, 22:51AHLCarolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators swap prospects
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired Max Lajoie from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Clark Bishop on Tuesday.
2021-01-06, 20:30AHLAround the AHL: Game on for the AHL
It's go-time for the 2020-21 American Hockey League season.The NHL’s top developmental league announced Monday that its 2020-21 season will start on February 5th after going nearly 11 months without...
2020-12-17, 20:45Scouting ReportsThe EliteProspects Rinkside 2020-21 Off-Season Prospect Pool Rankings: the No. 4-ranked Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are the team of Hockey Prospect Twitter, an honorific they've brandished in consecutive seasons with their work at the draft. They now boast the fourth-best prospect pool in the NHL.
2020-12-13, 20:23Scouting ReportsThe EliteProspects Rinkside 2020-21 Off-Season Prospect Pool Rankings: the No. 8-ranked Florida Panthers
A system full of new acquisitions, the Florida Panthers gave themselves a massive shot in the arm with five 2020 NHL Entry Draft players occupying a position within their Top-15...
2020-12-01, 21:30PodcastsThe EliteProspects Podcast With J.D. Burke and Craig Button: An interview with Carolina Hurricanes Dir. of Player Personnel Darren Yorke
The EliteProspects Podcast with J.D. Burke and Craig Button returns for its seventh episode, this one discussing the early happenings at HockeyCanada’s World Juniors camp, and then getting into a...
2020-05-28, 05:54NewsAround the AHL: What’s Next for the Players?
Now that the NHL plans to resume play, what does that mean for AHL players? The COVID-19 pandemic brought an end to the AHL’s 84th season when the NHL’s top...
2020-05-20, 16:00NewsAround the AHL: The AHL Season Cancellation
COVID-19’s ramifications for the American Hockey League could extend far beyond the cancellation of the 2019-20 season. After suspending play March 12th, the AHL pulled the plug on its 84th...
2020-03-06, 19:00NewsAround the AHL: Breaking Down the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture
First came the NHL Trade Deadline followed a week later by the AHL roster deadline. AHL teams are now set for the playoff stretch drive, although late-season CHL, NCAA, and...
2020-03-04, 18:00EP NewsTrade Analysis: The New Jersey Devils Get Their Guy in Janne Kuokkanen
It was no surprise when the New Jersey Devils announced that they’d dealt pending unrestricted free agent defenceman Sami Vatanen. The only questions were ‘where’ and ‘at what cost?’ Soon...
2020-03-03, 15:30EP NewsTrade Analysis: What can the Florida Panthers Expect From Eetu Luostarinen & Chase Priskie?
The Carolina Hurricanes were one of the deadline’s biggest movers and shakers, and it all started when they acquired Vincent Trochek from the Florida Panthers for Eetu Luostarinen, Chase Priskie,...
2020-02-28, 20:00NewsAround the AHL: Taking Stock of the AHL After the NHL Trade Deadline
After a hectic NHL Trade Deadline this week, AHL clubs have one more chance to shape their rosters. Next up is the AHL trade/loan deadline, set for this coming Monday...
2020-02-21, 20:30AHLAround the AHL: A Shake-Up in Laval
Bring on the youth movement for the Laval Rocket – and by extension the parent Montreal Canadiens — as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches. While the Habs continue their own...
2020-02-21, 15:00EP NewsTrade Analysis: Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers Swap Prospects
The news broke midday Tuesday when the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes pulled the trigger on a move that helped solidify the depth of both organizations. Joey Keane,...
2020-02-14, 20:00NewsAround the AHL: Eaves Back After A 26-Year Absence
Twenty-six years went by before Mike Eaves returned to AHL bench this season, more time than most of his current players have been alive. Named head coach of the Cleveland...
2020-01-30, 20:29RankingsBURKE: Re-Ranking the 2018 NHL Entry Draft
It seems like just yesterday that the stars of today and even tomorrow crossed the stage in Dallas, donning their new team’s colours for the first time as a just...
2020-01-24, 15:00AHLAround the AHL: Breaking Down the Beasts of the East
The American Hockey League plays Friday and Saturday this weekend before the schedule halts for the annual AHL All-Star Classic. When the league’s 31 teams resume play next week, they...
2020-01-22, 16:30NHL RookiesCalder Trophy Power Rankings: All Quiet on the Western Front
It’s just about a dead heat for the pole position in the ultra-competitive Calder Trophy race between Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. One could make a compelling case for either...
2020-01-17, 19:27NewsAround the AHL: The Hartford Wolf Pack are Back
The New York Rangers could hardly bring star goaltending prospect Igor Shestyorkin over to North America for AHL development only to stick him with the skeleton crew that wrapped up...
2019-12-11, 16:00NHL RookiesCalder Trophy Power Rankings: Looking at a Rapidly Shifting Field
It looks increasingly like this year’s Calder Trophy race is going to come down to a photo finish between two early emerging contenders, a pair of defenders who put miles...
2019-12-06, 22:24NewsAround the AHL: Breaking Down Early Returns Across the AHL
Roughly one-third of the AHL regular-season schedule has been completed, and the early returns are murky at best. Even by the AHL’s typically topsy-turvy ways and its nature as a...
2019-11-30, 20:44NewsAround the AHL: It’s too Early for AHL Teams to Count Their Blessings
The statistical rule-of-thumb in hockey is that the playoff picture at American Thanksgiving should hold through the end of the regular season. Well, usually. Last season, of course, the St....
2019-11-22, 17:11NewsAround the AHL: Charlotte Checking for That Championship Standard
On more than a few nights last season, the Charlotte Checkers could find a gear that opponents could not match. That blend of skill, a steadfast commitment to a system...
2019-11-15, 18:18NewsAround the AHL: Falling Stars in Texas
This weekend the Texas Stars return to Toronto for the time since the 2018 Calder Cup Final, but they will do so under very different circumstances. Seventeen months ago, the...
2019-11-09, 20:49NewsAround the AHL: It’s Crunch Time in Syracuse
The Syracuse Crunch annually has been an AHL force, sending a steady stream of talent to the parent Tampa Bay Lightning while also piling up wins. Development-wise, Yanni Gourde, Tyler...
2019-11-07, 15:30NHL ProspectsBURKE: Why the Carolina Hurricanes Wanted Dominik Bokk
The Carolina Hurricanes had no shortage of options when they looked at the St. Louis Blues as a potential partner in a Justin Faulk trade. Prospects, draft picks — the...
2019-11-01, 15:00NHL RookiesCalder Trophy Power Rankings: Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar Jockey for Pole Position
So begins the new debut of a monthly column, one in which we look at the NHL’s top rookies and determine their order in the Calder Trophy race. The Calder...
2019-10-02, 03:31NewsWILLIAMS: AHL Preview — 10 Season Opening Storylines to Follow
Another eight-month journey begins this Friday for the American Hockey League, the NHL’s top developmental league. A parade of first-round picks are on their way to the AHL to begin...
2019-09-12, 20:01NHL RookiesBURKE: One Prospect to Follow From Every NHL Team’s Training Camp
Now that NHL rookie camps and their outsized import are firmly in the rearview mirror, our focus shifts to training camp. That’s when it all gets real. Well, at least...
2019-08-22, 17:00NewsWILLIAMS: Part 2 of a Sit-Down With Bryan Helmer
Earlier this summer, Hershey Bears vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer sat down for an extensive 1-on-1 interview with EP Rinkside to discuss all sides of the hockey business....
2019-08-19, 13:00Scouting ReportsEP Rinkside Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 1 Ranked New York Rangers
I’m sure the excitement of most New York Rangers fans at seeing their team’s top spot in the EP Rinkside Prospect Pool Rankings is met with equal parts bewilderment. We’re...
2019-08-16, 15:30Scouting ReportsEP Rinkside Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 3 Ranked Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes seem to get almost everything right these days. From a miraculous second-half of the NHL season that vaulted them to the Playoffs, and the Conference Finals run...
2019-08-08, 19:22NewsWILLIAMS: Let’s Play AHL Match Maker Part 3
So far, EP Rinkside has analyzed options in net and on the blue line for NHL clubs looking to strengthen their organizational depth charts, land a first-recall option, and provide...
2019-08-03, 17:30Scouting ReportsEP Rinkside Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 14 Ranked Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have a love-hate relationship with the NHL draft, alternating between selecting players like Kyle Beach in the first round and picking up gems like Alex DeBrincat in...- 2019-07-31, 16:00News
WILLIAMS: Let’s Play AHL Match Maker Part 2
Last week, EP Rinkside analyzed goaltending options for NHL clubs looking to strengthen their organizational depth charts, land the first-recall option, and provide a cushion for their young AHL prospects.... 
2019-07-11, 14:30AHLWILLIAMS: A Busy Summer is Underway in the AHL
July 1st always hits the AHL and turns rosters over as NHL organizations rebuild their depth charts. Several Eastern Conference clubs have had very busy openings to the free-agent mark....
2019-07-09, 22:47Scouting ReportsTrade Analysis: What are the Chicago Blackhawks Getting in Aleksi Saarela?
It wasn’t that long ago that Aleksi Saarela was the centrepiece of a package sent by the New York Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes for about a month-plus of Eric...
2019-07-08, 23:00Scouting ReportsTrade Analysis: What are the Vegas Golden Knights Getting in Nicolas Roy?
There was no shortage of trade action in the leadup to free agency, as cap-strapped teams moved out expendable parts of their present for capital in the form of futures....
2019-07-02, 15:30NewsWILLIAMS: Charlotte Checkers Got it Done Off of the Ice Too
Money makes the hockey world go round, to put a slight wrinkle on that expression. The Charlotte Checkers’ on-ice performance was rivalled only by their off-ice success in the 2018-19...
2019-06-25, 20:00NewsWILLIAMS: One-on-One With AHL President & CEO Dave Andrews – Part 2
Dave Andrews had already seen the hockey business from all sorts of angles as a player, head coach, and general manager before he took over as AHL president and chief...
2019-06-13, 16:00NewsWILLIAMS: AHL Power Rankings – Charlotte Checkers Finish as Kings
For the final time this season, EP Rinkside serves up the weekly AHL Power Rankings. Keeping in mind both a team’s regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff performance, here is a...
2019-06-12, 16:00NHL Prospect ReportWILLIAMS: Alex Nedeljkovic-Dustin Tokarski Tandem Star for Charlotte Checkers
Finally, Charlotte Checkers goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic can rest. Nedeljkovic, the Calder Cup champion Checkers’ 23-year-old standout netminder, played a combined 66 games between the regular season and postseason. His 51...
2019-06-11, 16:00NHL RookiesWILLIAMS: Jake Bean Shines for Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers
Charlotte Checkers defenseman Jake Bean could not have asked for more than his rookie pro season, but it did not begin as planned. Nine months after training camp with the...
2019-06-08, 16:00NewsCALDER CUP: Chicago Wolves Standing Between Charlotte Checkers & Calder Cup
One win – and a road date with the Chicago Wolves – separate the Charlotte Checkers from the Calder Cup. With a 3-1 series lead and Game 5 set for...
2019-05-24, 05:42Scouting ReportsAHL WEEKEND: STRUGGLE CONTINUES FOR MARLIES-CHECKERS, WOLVES-GULLS
The Toronto Marlies’ grip on the Calder Cup remains tight. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at home against the regular-season champion Charlotte Checkers, the Marlies twice broke...
2019-05-17, 19:14NHL ProspectsAHL WEEKEND: It’s Go-Time for Checkers-Marlies, Gulls-Wolves
Yes, the Charlotte Checkers and Toronto Maple Leafs remain very much alive in the Calder Cup Playoffs, though you might not know it based on their recent schedules. The most...
2019-05-15, 19:16NHL ProspectsAHL PLAYOFF RUN: Charlotte Checkers – Toronto Marlies Highlight a Fearsome Foursome in Conference Finals
With two rounds of the Calder Cup Playoffs down and two more to go, the AHL could not have asked for a much more intriguing final four. They have four...
2019-05-14, 14:12NHL RookiesAHL PROSPECT WATCH: Team-first for Hurricanes and beyond
With the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs nearing its conclusion, plenty of rookies are affecting series around the AHL. As always, Monday here is a day to catch...
2019-05-01, 15:21NHL RookiesAHL SECOND-ROUND PREVIEW: Playoff field down to eight
Like father, like son. The AHL has long tried to emulate the NHL as closely as possible. Players play an NHL-type schedule, teams largely employ the same systems with only...
2019-04-03, 14:58RankingsAHL POWER RANKINGS: Checkers still dominant, Wolves in pursuit
Each week, EP Rinkside serves up the AHL Power Rankings, a look at the top Calder Cup contenders across the 31-team circuit and their player development picture. The Charlotte Checkers...
2019-03-01, 11:38NHL ProspectsAHL On The Road: Hurricanes helping Checkers load up for playoff run
The Charlotte Checkers are not content to sit atop the AHL standings. With a deep pool of prospects primed take on the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes brought two...
2019-02-12, 15:30NHL RookiesAHL PROSPECTS REPORT: Bean continues to grow in Charlotte
Monday is when AHL teams catch up after another hectic weekend on the ice and on the highways. With two and sometimes three games – plus travel – crunched into...
2019-02-06, 16:02NHL ProspectsAHL POWER RANKINGS: Stumbling – but Charlotte keeps the “A” in check
Each Tuesday, EP Rinkside serves up the weekly AHL Power Rankings, a look at the top Calder Cup contenders across the 31-team circuit and their player development picture. 1. CHARLOTTE...
