Charlotte Checkers | CollegeHockeyPlayers

Tagged: Charlotte Checkers

01Sep

Andrew Carroll(13) Idaho Steelheads

Posted in AHL, ECHL | Leave a comment

3rd year undrafted Hershey Bears‘ center Andrew Carroll(13) might consider changing his number next season.

He’s yet to blossom into a goal scorer in a couple of AHL seasons (3 goals in 52 games) but it took him until the final game of the 2011/2012 season to net his first, which may get him to think about a switch.

He did establish career highs this year with 68 games played, 5 assists, 6 points, 138 pims, and an ouch -5.

In 79 games in the ECHL he has 40 goals and 22 assists.

We think he’ll re-sign with the Bears for next season.

Original story: 4/17-12

Late, almost at the start of 2012/2013 he signed with Idaho Steelheads.

Halfway through the season he was loaned to Hartford Wolf Pack and even signed a deal before being returned for the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs, where he connected for 3 goals and 5 assists in 15 games.

He had basically similar totals from the previous season in half the games in the AHL but was almost a point-per-game producer in the ECHL with 12-19-31 in 36 totals.

Heading into 2013/2014 he didn’t have to wait long for a contract signing an extension to stay in Connecticut.

Almost ironically he would be a late cut from training camp reassigned to affiliate Greenville Road Warriors but after a couple months of unproductive skating with a horrid -20 rating he was moved along to Bakersfield Condors.

In 50 games, he didn’t completely restore himself but he got at least 8 goals and 8 assist before taking it up a notch in the postseason.

Post that performance, he fully disappeared. There’s very little as to why or where he went last season.

For his 6th pro season though, the just turned 30-year old is back and signed on to rejoin Idaho Steelheads for 2015/2016. He had his best offensive campaign with them and the chemistry may still be there.

19Aug

Stefan Chaput(21) Olimpija Ljubljana

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

5th year center Stefan Chaput(21) hooks up with Hamilton Bulldogs for the 2012/2013 season on a one-year AHL contract.

He missed all but 11 games with Providence Bruins last year due to hip surgery, groin, upper body, you name it. Apparently healthy once again, he’ll look to regain some of that scoring spark he had when he first came to the P-Bruins in 2010 and from his “rookie” season in the Carolina Hurricanes‘ system with Albany River Rats.

The 6′ 192 lbs. forward was originally a Canes‘ 5th round pick in 2006 (#153 overall). He’s not an overly big player and doesn’t really play that style of game but given some room he can make things happen and the Bulldogs are counting on some of that magic to reappear. He has yet to appear in an NHL game.

Original story: 9/19-12

He would start his new season on reassignment down to Wheeling Nailers, where in 15 ECHL games he scored 3 goals and 6 assists before being recalled to spend the rest of the campaign with Hamilton.

Although not what he was able to achieve in his earlier career, he still was able to do ok with 5 goals and 12 assists in 48 games but was a woeful -12 plus/minus.

It was good enough to get him another contract for 2013/2014, but when he was once again to start the new year in the lower league he decided to split signing briefly with Cornwall River Kings of the LNAH.

He received another AHL look on a pto with Utica Comets but failed to connect in three games and was released.

His next step may have been one of his most important, as he agreed to terms halfway through the season to head overseas joining Ravensburg Towerstars of DEL2.

Seemed like the right move as he found that scoring touch connecting for 9 goals and 11 assists in 16 games and added another tally and 4 more helpers in 5 playoff match-ups.

For 2014/2015 he decided to stay put in Germany but switch allegiances inking a deal with rivals Dresdner Eislowen.

He would post career highs for his new squad notching 20 goals and 34 assists for 54 points in 43 games but came up a bit empty in a short postseason.

Heading into his 8th year, the now 27-year old has decided to move on to Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga to skate with Olimpija Ljubljana, where he may be a bit more challenged to keep up those scoring stats from last season but will be a good challenge.

02Jun

Jerome Samson(17) EHC Munchen

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

In his 5th season with Carolina Hurricanes, undrafted wing Jerome Samson(17) received his first call up to the NHL of 2011/2012 and promptly put the puck in the net. It was the first big league goal of his career.

The team is struggling again this season and need someone that will give them point production. He’s played 32 games and has just 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) but at age 24, he may be just starting to hit his stride.

With Charlotte Checkers, he leads the team in goals with 15 and adds 12 assists for a respectable 27 points in 37 AHL games.

He is in the final year of the two-year extension he signed in 2010.

He wears the inverse of his AHL numbers in the NHL.

Original story: 1/14-12

7/20-12: Signs a one-year, two way contract to stay with Carolina Hurricanes.

For 2013/2014 he leaves to ink another one-year deal with Winnipeg Jets but spends the entire season with affiliate St. John’s IceCaps reaching his second highest totals in the minors.

Once again he looks for an opportunity to play in the NHL and agrees to terms with Tampa Bay Lightning but is very slow to start with their farm club Syracuse Crunch and asks to be released.

He eventually is put on unconditional waivers and heads overseas joining Biel of the NLA in Switzerland.

Now 27-years old he’ll stay across the pond with EHC Munchen of the German elite DEL and will in all likelihood regain that scoring touch.

17Mar

Corey Potter(28) Calgary Flames

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Almost a month after his 2nd recall from affiliate Adirondack Flames, Calgary Flames‘ 9th year defenseman Corey Potter(28) finally got into a couple of games to extend his streak of big league appearances to seven seasons in a row.

In 125 NHL big league contests, for two seasons with Edmonton Oilers he appeared in games only at the highest level and has skated the bulk of his games with the Canadian club (111).

Otherwise, he’s had a few nods here and there: from draft team (4th round in 2003, #122 overall) New York Rangers over a couple of seasons, 1 with Pittsburgh Penguins and most recently 3 looks from Boston Bruins after being grabbed off waivers.

The 6’3″ 205 lbs. has played 352 AHL games scoring a modest 28 goals and 125 assists but is an absolute mammoth of on ice accountability with an overall +97 rating.

At 31-years old he still has some more seasons left in the tank but it’s a bit of a wonder if he gets another major contract or plays out his time in the minors mentoring prospects and heads into coaching when it’s time to finally hang up the skates.

See related: 3/28-11

30Jan

The AHL moves west

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

At 3:30pm ET AHL president Dave Andrews announced the creation on a Pacific Division that will play in the Western Conference of the league starting 2015/2016.

The cities effectively losing teams are Oklahoma City Barons, which happened earlier this season, Norfolk Admirals, Glens Falls/Adirondack Flames after only one run, Worcester Sharks and rivals Manchester Monarchs.

Picking up teams will be soon to be former ECHL franchises Ontario (Los Angeles), Bakersfield (Edmonton) and Stockton (Calgary). San Diego (Anaheim) will be a new city for triple A hockey although did at one time have a Gulls, and San Jose‘s farm club will play out of the same building as the Sharks; and will likely be renamed.

It’s fairly well-thought that Manchester, Adirondack and Norfolk make announcement to join the double A league and there’s rumors racing around Worcester is exploring the options and would have the best chance at success by resurrecting the Ice Cats, while Oklahoma City may get back into the fold under their old successful Blazers‘ banner after a year on the sidelines.

This move was 100% inevitable and can easily make fiscal sense. Those west coast teams draw fairly well with their fan base of hockey lovers.

On the plus side for Eastern Conference folks, chances are Utica, Rochester, Charlotte, Hamilton and even possible Toronto enter in their rivalry picture.

The big news is the top level of minor league hockey in California has arrived.

29Jan

Ryan Murphy(7) Carolina Hurricanes

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Carolina Hurricanes‘ 1st round pick in the 2011 draft (#12 overall) defenseman Ryan Murphy(7) has made the at least 2.5 hour commute between Raleigh and minor league affiliate Charlotte Checkers so many times in his short 2-year pro career that he must be feeling like a bit of a yo-yo.

The not so big 5’11” 185 lbs. blue liner definitely has shown an ability to put up points on the scoreboard.

He was virtually a point per game performer in 4 years of OHL with Kitchener Rangers and his 17 assists in 22 AHL games nears his 19 helper mark set last season.

That is unless he stays rooted with the parent club, where he has 5 assists in 17 NHL games, only slightly off the 2 goals and 10 assists in 48 contests he put up as a rookie.

The 21-year old is signed through 2016 on a three-year entry level deal and knows he has to work his tail off to stay put.

He was recently sent back down to the farm team so he could appear in the All-Star Game.

He helped the Western Conference to a 14-12 victory with 3 assists and a +5 rating and then immediately was recalled.

14Jan

Steve MacIntyre(74) Utah Grizzlies

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Norfolk Admirals‘ absolutely huge 6’5″ 250 lbs. 13th year veteran left wing Steve MacIntyre(74) has seemingly taken his demotion to Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL for the first time since 2006 in stride this late in his pro career.

He actually played the next season 2006/2007 in the old UHL with Quad City Mallards, who maybe ironically are now playing their games in the same league.

His brick wall, tough guy style and persistent attitude helped take his game to the next level when in 2007/2008 he skated a full AHL season with Providence Bruins.

It would be the last time he put up over 200 penalty minutes in a season and although he threw fists 18 times, that was easily the most fights in a campaign he’d ever settled.

Edmonton Oilers took notice and grabbed him off waivers from Florida Panthers, who reclaimed him a year later.

He would play games mostly in Alberta, but he also got some time with Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 34-year old skated last season with Oklahoma City Barons but only appeared in 11 games.

He’s been held pointless for at least the last three years.

It’s pretty likely that if he wants to still play the sport he will take his game to England next and be a hero.

22Dec

Justin Shugg(52) Carolina Hurricanes

Posted in AHL, ECHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Carolina Hurricanes‘ 4th round pick in the 2010 draft (#105 overall) 4th year right wing Justin Shugg(52) came off his best season yet playing his first full campaign for one team, farm club Charlotte Checkers.

He reached career highs in games played (75), goals (16), assists (22), points (38) and shots on net (160), all good enough to get him a one-year extension to continue in the prospect system.

In his rookie season he was on a see-saw of call-ups and reassignments with ECHL affiliate Florida Everblades and eventually sent back down as the AHL club’s season ended to help them with their postseason run.

The former two-time Memorial Cup Champion with Windsor Spitfires of the OHL stepped back in with a team he had already posted more a point-per-game for during the regular season and went right to work putting up 7 goals and 5 assists in 11 games to help them with their first Kelly Cup Championship.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward would start his sophomore year in the lower league but when he was called up to the Checkers that would be his last visit to the sunshine state.

To start 2014/2015, the 22-year old got off to a hot start and looks to eclipse his goals and point total marks set last season.

It was good enough to earn him his first recall. He played in three NHL games skating an average of 8 shifts and almost 6 minutes of ice time with no points but did register three shots and three hits and 2 penalty minutes in his time up.

He was returned to the minors and will likely continue to light the lamp in the minors.

30Sep

Jeremy Welsh(15) Chicago Wolves

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Undrafted center Jeremy Welsh(15) has already been with his share of teams as he enters his third professional season.

An unrestricted free agent heading into 2014/2015, his former team Vancouver Canucks decided to not re-sign the fairly large 6’3″ 208 lbs. Ontario, Canada native.

He originally inked a 1-year entry level deal with Carolina Hurricanes and skated his first NHL game after winning an ECAC Championship at Union College in his third and final season before turning pro.

The physical presence up front split his time in his rookie year up with the big club on numerous recalls but mostly with affiliate Charlotte Checkers, where he notched some decent numbers (14+12-26 in 69 AHL games).

His potential abilities led him to receive a two-year extension with the 2nd year being a one-way contract.

He was traded to Vancouver before the start of 2013/2014 and split his time with Utica Comets.

The 26-year old joined St. Louis Blues early in free agency on a 1-year, 2-way contract and was recently reassigned to affiliate Chicago Wolves.

He’ll easily be on the short list for a recall to prove his mettle once again but will need to show up big.

15Dec

Justin Peters(35) Carolina Hurricanes

Posted in AHL, NHL | Leave a comment

Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft (#38 overall) 8th year goaltender Justin Peters is finding his footing and looks to potentially take over the number one job in net.

In 16 NHL games this season he has a 6-8 record but his 2.23 GAA and .925 SV% always gives his team a chance to win.

He’s played 63 total games serving mostly as back-up net minder with appearances in each of the last 5 seasons.

The 6’1″ 210 lbs. goalie has played in 214 AHL games sporting a nifty 2.64 GAA and .912 SV%. He is on the record books with Charlotte Checkers for best in both categories in a single season, most shutouts in a year and overall and has appeared in two All-Star Games receiving best net minder for his play in the 2013 skills competition.

He was re-signed to a two-year contract extension with 2013/2014 as a one-way deal. It will be tough to reassign the player without losing him on waivers.

The 27-year old will likely be staying put with the only team he’s dressed for.

« Older posts