Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
A point of conventional hockey wisdom very much applies to the Charlotte Checkers and the Florida Panthers, their NHL parent team.
All other elements being equal, ideally an AHL team can tailor its philosophies to its NHL parent team. There may well be times when those objectives need some flexibility, given changing personnel and the inexperience that comes with developing young players, so some systems and schemes may need to differ. This is the AHL, and this morning’s roster may look different by tonight, so flexibility is paramount for both player and coach. It is often less about the X’s and O’s than it is about defining philosophies on how to play, both individually and within the team game. Some details may need altering, but done right, those philosophies stay true regardless.
The plan makes sense. Prepare players in the AHL to play the same way that they will be called upon to do if and when they advance to the parent team. Smooth that transition as much as possible. They will have enough to handle in the NHL, after all.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers are invested in what happens in Charlotte, both from a development and winning standpoint. Since their first season on the ice as partners in 2021-22, the two sides have worked to put together a quality product in Charlotte. They won an Atlantic Division title in that first campaign together, have qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in all four seasons, and this year’s .653 points percentage (44-22-3-3) marked the best record ever for a Florida AHL affiliate.
Winning matters in Charlotte, so the organization supplemented the Panthers’ prospect pool with some quality veterans. In came forward John Leonard, who delivered a 36-goal season. Defenseman Trevor Carrick, a fan favorite and Calder Cup winner from his first turn with the Checkers, came back and finished as an AHL Second All-Star Team member. Kyle Criscuolo added more up-front help. Even in-season additions like C.J. Smith, Kaapo Kähkönen and Jesse Puljujärvi have fit well into head coach Geordie Kinnear’s lineup.
The Checkers play a tight, responsible, playoff-style type of hockey that has earned considerable admiration around the league. This isn’t just a Florida affiliate; it’s a team that feels like an extension of the Panthers with strong personalities anchoring an all-in team-first approach.
Florida finished fifth during the NHL regular season in shots-against per game (26.2), seventh in goals-against per game (2.72), and 12th on the penalty kill (80.7 percent). The Panthers’ 12 tallies shorthanded put them second in the NHL. In winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup last year, the Panthers killed off an even 88 percent of opposing power-play chances. Shots per game? They averaged 31.6, third-best in the NHL.
Charlotte allowed just 23.3 shots per game in the AHL regular season, the fewest in the AHL, and owned the league’s top penalty kill. Moreover, Charlotte’s 16 shorthanded strikes paced the league. They also know how to control the puck, finishing second in the AHL with 31.8 shots per game in the regular season. Their playoff performance has only strengthened, too. The Checkers allowed just 24.2 shots per game to the P-Bruins, including a remarkable eight shots in the deciding Game 5 last Sunday. The penalty kill continues to excel and handled 17 of 19 Providence chances (89.5 percent).
Both teams can also mix some extra aggression into their game, thanks to having a strong penalty kill. Florida (244) and Charlotte (269) each tied for fifth in their respective leagues in times shorthanded.
Along with the Dallas Stars and Texas Stars, Florida and Charlotte are the only other NHL-AHL partners still alive this postseason. The next step in that journey for the Checkers comes tonight when they welcome the back-to-back Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears to Bojangles Coliseum for Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Finals. Providence did not go home easily; after two Checkers road wins, the Bruins answered with consecutive victories in Charlotte.
Charlotte’s power play, which went 1-for-18 against Providence, is an area requiring improvement. Hershey is a massive test, a team that has won an AHL-record nine consecutive playoff series, is coming off its own grind with Lehigh Valley, and is stacked with Calder Cup Playoff experience – and rings.
But with an opportunity to become the first Florida affiliate to win a Calder Cup, the Checkers are through to the division final round for the first time in three years. It’s mid-May, and they remain very much alive. They’ll have the home crowd behind them this weekend before going north to Giant Center for as many as three games in one of the AHL’s most difficult environments.
Kinnear, who won the Calder Cup as a player with the Albany River Rats in 1995, loves that.
“I definitely wasn’t ready for this one to end,” Kinnear said after the Checkers extended their season on Sunday. “They’ve been a joy all year, so I feel fresh, and I think they do, too. We just want to keep going because we enjoy each other every single day. We have a lot to learn, and we’re not done yet.”
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
