George Richards, FHN Publisher
For the first time in years, the Florida Panthers leaned heavily on their AHL team with 12 players brought up from the Charlotte Checkers at some point during the season.
By the time the season ended, seven had made their NHL debuts at some point and eight current members of the Checkers played in the season-ending rout of the Detroit Red Wings.
Following the 8-1 win against Detroit last Wednesday night, equipment managers scurried to pack bags for the morning flight back to Charlotte.
While Florida’s main group of players knew their season was ending as the weeks rolled down, the Charlotte Panthers understood their season was really just getting started.
Tonight, the Checkers open the Calder Cup playoffs with a best-of-3 first-round series against the Springfield Thunderbirds in Charlotte.
The Thunderbirds, of course, were Florida’s AHL team from 2016-20 after relocating from Portland, Maine.
Four of Charlotte’s top six scorers played for the Panthers at one point this season, and five of its top defensemen also spent time with the big club.
That is pretty good experience.
“We all started the season together, played 60 or so games together, and we have a great group,” Mike Benning said. “This is a group that wants to win, is hungry to win. I think everyone, myself included, is really excited about what comes next. We’re going to try and make a real run at this.’’
At 44-23-5, the Checkers finished third in the Atlantic Division giving them home ice in this first round. Because of travel restrictions in the AHL, all three games in the opening round — if necessary — will be played at Bojangles Coliseum.
Charlotte, which won the Eastern Conference championship last year before falling in the finals to Vancouver’s Abbotsford Canucks, is ranked fifth in the entire league with 93 points despite losing so many players to the Panthers throughout the season.
“This is a different group, but we have a few guys left over,” Charlotte coach Geordie Kinnear said of his 2025 conference championship team. “It’s a new season, but those two home losses [in the final] sat with me for a long time, and will sit with me for a long period of time. It makes me understand and translate to them how truly hard it is in the end. That’s the ultimate goal, and it’s supposed to be hard.”
The Checkers open the playoffs tonight at 7 against the Thunderbirds with Game 2 on Friday night.
If there is a Game 3, it would be played on Saturday in Charlotte.
ON DECK: FLORIDA PANTHERS OFFSEASON
- Charlotte Checkers Calder Cup Playoffs (Round 1 vs. Springfield Thunderbirds) — Game 1: Wednesday 7; Game 2: Friday 7; *Game 3: Saturday 7
- NHL Draft Lottery: May 5; Secaucus, NJ
- NHL Draft: June 26-27; KeyBank Center, Buffalo
- NHL Free Agency: Opens July 1
- Panthers Development Camp: Late June/Early July; IcePlex, Fort Lauderdale
- Panthers Rookie Camp/Tournament: Late August/Early Sept.; Site TBA
- Panthers Training Camp: Early/Mid September; Fort Lauderdale
- 2026-27 NHL Season Opens: Late September; Site, Opponent TBA