Checkers punch their ticket to Calder Cup Playoffs

The Charlotte Checkers are heading to the big dance once again.

Exploding for four goals in the third period, the Checkers came from behind to secure a 5-2 win over the Providence Bruins on Wednesday and lock down their place in the postseason.

This marks the seventh straight trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs for Charlotte.

“I knew that was probably a scenario, but I was focused on playing winning hockey,” Checkers head coach Geordie Kinnear said. “This group deserves an opportunity to keep playing, so they get that opportunity. We want to make sure we keep playing.”

Making the Florida Panthers proud, the Checkers, who’ve been the team’s AHL affiliate since 2020, currently sit in second place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division at 37-19-3-3.

John Leonard leads Charlotte in scoring with 53 points (30 goals, 23 assists), while Trevor Carrick has logged 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists). Rasmus Asplund, who’s also played two games with Florida this season, is third on the team with 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists).

Coming into their own, a pair of Panthers prospects are also having great seasons.

A third-round pick (87^th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, Justin Sourdif has recorded 33 points during his third season in the AHL, including netting a career-high 15 goals in just 40 games.

Chipping in from the blue line, Mike Benning, a fourth-round pick (95^th overall) in 2020, has been piling up the points during his second AHL campaign, ranking second among Charlotte’s defensemen with a career-high 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists).

Between the pipes, the Checkers have also been getting steady goaltending.

In his first professional season, Cooper Black, who stands an imposing 6-foot-8, has gone 10-3-1 with a .917 save percentage, while AHL veteran Ken Appley is 13-8-1 with a .905 save percentage.

Acquired by the Panthers at the trade deadline earlier this month, Kaapo Kahkonen, who boasts 140 games of NHL experience, has gone 4-2-0 with a .912 save percentage since joining the Checkers.

Just like the Panthers, who are vying for first place in the Atlantic Division, the Checkers have 10 games left to try and chase down the top spot in the Atlantic in the AHL.

Once the playoffs begin, they’ll be hunting for their first Calder Cup since 2019.

To stay up to date on the action in the AHL, follow @CharlotteCheckers on X.