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30-592: The current organization is the third team by this name; it succeeded a Checkers franchise that played in the ECHL from 1993 until the end of the 2009–10 ECHL season . The original Checkers team played in the city from 1956 to 1977, originally in the Eastern Hockey League and then in the Southern Hockey League . The franchise is one of six teams to replace and share a name with a predecessor franchise from

60-621: A 2–0 loss to the Rockford IceHogs . In late 2014, the Checkers announced they would return in the following season to the Bojangles' Coliseum , the home of the previous Checkers teams until 2005. As Kahn detailed, the move would reconnect with said team legacy. Additionally, having a dedicated arena allowed for "greater control over every aspect of our business, including scheduling, amenities, game presentation and sponsorship inventory." To make sure

90-713: A lower-tier league; the others are the Bakersfield Condors , Colorado Eagles , Ontario Reign , Rockford IceHogs , and San Diego Gulls . . The franchise was originally based in Troy, New York , as the Capital District Islanders from 1990 to 1993. They then became the Albany River Rats from 1993 to 2010, until the River Rats were sold to MAK Hockey, LLC, led by Charlotte beer distributor Michael Kahn , owner of

120-818: A professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) and are affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois , and are owned by Chicago business owners Don Levin and Buddy Meyers. Originally a member of the International Hockey League , the Wolves joined

150-713: The 2007–08 season , winning 13 of the first 14 games, with an overtime loss. The Wolves finished the season with 111 points, and first in the Western Conference. The Wolves were the AHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers from 2001 to 2011. The Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg in June 2011 and added the St. John's IceCaps (formerly the Manitoba Moose ) as their new AHL affiliate, leaving

180-488: The 2008–09 season after Bill Wirtz died and his son Rocky took over the team, reversing many of his father's policies, one of which allowed the Blackhawks' games to be aired locally on TV. Since 2008, Jason Shaver has handled the play-by-play duties for the Wolves, along with Gardner. Today, select regular-season home games are broadcast on WPWR-TV (My50), and WMEU-CD (The U), and all games are streamed on AHLTV. This

210-614: The Checkers starting with the 2010–11 season . As a result of this, Kahn returned the Checkers ECHL franchise to the ECHL at the end of the 2009–10 ECHL season , ending the franchise's ECHL history. Records as of 2009–10 season. Notes: There were no conferences in the ECHL prior to the 1997–98 season. Games tied at end of regulation went directly to shootout from 1995–2000 Phil Berger Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are

240-575: The ECHL Checkers . The new ownership relocated the team to Charlotte for the 2010–11 season, renaming the franchise the "Charlotte Checkers", and relinquished the ECHL franchise to the league. The Checkers are the second North Carolina–based team to play at the highest level of minor-league hockey, following the Carolina Monarchs , who played in Greensboro from 1995 to 1997. The Checkers inherited

270-666: The Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the league's best regular season record. It was the first time a Charlotte hockey team had broken the 100-point barrier since the SHL Checkers earned 101 points in 1974–75. They defeated the defending champion Toronto Marlies in the Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first Calder Cup final. They defeated the Chicago Wolves in five games to win their first AHL title, and

300-761: The Nashville Predators for the 2020–21 season as the Predators' affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals , opted out of the COVID-19 pandemic -shortened season. For the 2020–21 season, the teams' home games were at their training facility at the Triphahn Center in Hoffman Estates due to arena restrictions for fans during the pandemic. During the 2023–24 season , the Wolves played as independent AHL team, becoming

330-570: The AHL after the IHL folded in 2001. The Wolves won the Turner Cup twice (1998, 2000) in the IHL and the Calder Cup thrice (2002, 2008, and 2022). The Wolves qualified for all but five postseasons (2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, and 2015–16 seasons), appearing in eight league championship finals (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2019 and 2022) in their 22-year history. The team's most notable player

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360-679: The Blues creating the Utica Comets . In November 2016, it was first reported the Blues would not renew their affiliation with the Wolves and were planning to move their affiliation to Kansas City for 2017. However, this was unconfirmed and then denied by the announced potential owner in Kansas City, Lamar Hunt Jr. , in a press release from his ECHL team in the area, the Missouri Mavericks , and further denied by AHL commissioner, David Andrews, after

390-667: The Checkers and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms played the longest game in the history of the American Hockey League. A 1–1 tie was broken by a Phantoms' goal at 6:48 of the fifth overtime period, more than six hours after the game began. The Checkers made 95 shots against Lehigh Valley goalie Alex Lyon . The 2018–19 season was the Checkers' best season as an AHL team to date and one of the best in Charlotte's hockey history. They won their first division title with 110 points and

420-616: The Checkers. Updated November 25, 2024. Charlotte Checkers (1993%E2%80%932010) The Charlotte Checkers were an American ice hockey team in Charlotte, North Carolina , and played in the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League). Following a 17-year break from ice hockey, the Checkers returned in 1993 and made the playoffs ten times, including winning the ECHL Championship in 1996. The Checkers franchise

450-576: The Coliseum was up to AHL standards, the Charlotte City Council arranged to provide $ 16 million to fund renovations. While Time Warner Cable Arena had been one of the largest arenas in the AHL, it left much to be desired as a hockey venue. It seated 14,100 people, but over 4,000 seats had obstructed views. In Charlotte on May 9 and 10, 2018, in game four of the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs,

480-561: The January 2017 Board of Governors meeting. After the 2016–17 season, the Wolves became the first affiliate of the NHL's expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights . The Blues did not re-sign with the Wolves to be their primary NHL affiliate for the 2017–18 season . However, Blues' general manager Doug Armstrong confirmed they would still send prospects to the Wolves for that season. During

510-494: The River Rats' affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes , in keeping with a recent trend to have NHL teams' top affiliates geographically close to their parent teams in order to ease movement between the AHL and the NHL. The AHL Checkers' first home game was October 15, 2010, at the Time Warner Cable Arena in front of 12,512 spectators, which set an attendance record for a hockey game in Charlotte. On February 26, 2011,

540-519: The Wolves and the NHL's Vancouver Canucks to find new affiliates. On June 27, 2011, the Wolves and Canucks agreed to a two–year affiliation agreement. On April 23, 2013, the Wolves and St. Louis Blues reached a three-year affiliation agreement. The deal was struck after the Canucks and Wolves decided not to renew their existing affiliation agreement and purchased the Peoria Rivermen franchise from

570-411: The Wolves took advantage of this, going so far as to promote themselves with the slogan "We Play Hockey The Old-Fashioned Way: We Actually Win ". After Judd Sirott served as the team's play-by-play announcer for its first 12 seasons, starting in the 2006–07 season broadcast announcers were long-time Blackhawks commentators Pat Foley and Bill Gardner ; Foley ultimately returned to the Blackhawks for

600-527: The attendance record was broken as 12,933 fans watched the Checkers defeat the Connecticut Whale 1–0. Almost a year later, on February 25, 2012, the attendance record was broken yet again as 13,102 fans watched the Checkers fall to the Oklahoma City Barons , 3–2. On April 11, 2015, the attendance record was broken a third time as 13,219 fans watched the last Checkers game at Time Warner Cable Arena,

630-506: The first independent AHL team since the 1994–95 season . On May 2, 2024, the team renewed its affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes for a three-year term beginning with the 2024–25 season. The Wolves once were the only AHL team with a full television package. As the Chicago Blackhawks ' late owner Bill Wirtz had refused to allow Blackhawks home games to be televised locally, the Wolves were viewed and embraced as an alternative;

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660-585: The first season of their affiliation with Vegas, the Wolves set a pair of franchise records in earning points in 14 straight games from December 9 to January 6 and 13 consecutive home wins from December 6 to February 15. In the 2018–19 season , the Wolves made the Calder Cup Finals, in which they lost to the Charlotte Checkers in five games. During the 2019–20 season , the Golden Knights stated it

690-513: The pandemic, the Checkers were one of three teams that opted out of the 2020–21 AHL season . When the Checkers returned for the 2021–22 season , they remained the primary affiliate of the Panthers, but agreed to also serve as the affiliate for the 2021–22 expansion team Seattle Kraken . The Kraken's general manager Ron Francis formerly worked for the Hurricanes when the team was still affiliated with

720-487: The seventh hockey championship by a Charlotte-based team. The following 2019–20 season was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Calder Cup was not awarded. Following the cancelled postseason, the Hurricanes ended their affiliation with the Checkers after ten seasons, resulting in the Checkers affiliating with the Florida Panthers beginning with the 2020–21 season. However, due to the ongoing restrictions during

750-483: The team back to Sabates and Scheer for $ 500,000. By comparison, Sabates had sold the team in 1996 for $ 5 million. The Checkers played at the old coliseum, which was later renamed Cricket Arena, until 2005 when they moved to Time Warner Cable Arena in downtown Charlotte. The team set their all-time attendance record of 12,398 on February 21, 2009 in a 5-2 win against the Florida Everblades . Their previous record

780-448: The team more popular. However, in a case of exceptionally bad timing, this came just as the NFL's Carolina Panthers were due to open their new downtown stadium . The team's popularity faded, forcing Braswell to sell the Checkers to Hornets owners George Shinn and Ray Wooldrige in 2000 for $ 3 million. However, Shinn and Wooldridge were unable to revive the team at the gate, forcing them to sell

810-643: Was 11,237 in a loss against the Texas Wildcatters in February 2007. On January 21, 2010, it was reported that Michael Kahn , who had bought the team from Sabates and Scheer in 2006, was in talks to buy the Albany River Rats , the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL 's Carolina Hurricanes . On February 10, the sale of the River Rats to Kahn was confirmed. Kahn then moved the Rats to Charlotte and changed their name to

840-413: Was forward Steve Maltais , who until his retirement after the 2004–05 season had played every season of the franchise and holds most of its scoring records. Other notable players include goaltender Wendell Young , ex- Pittsburgh star Rob Brown and long time Chicago Blackhawks stars Troy Murray , Chris Chelios and Al Secord . The Wolves had their best season start in their 14-year history, during

870-554: Was founded in 1993, and was owned by a consortium headed by local auto dealer and NASCAR team owner Felix Sabates , with former Charlotte Hornets president Carl Scheer and NASCAR drivers Richard and Kyle Petty among the minority partners. They played in the old Charlotte Coliseum , which was heavily renovated and renamed Independence Arena. Soon after winning the Jack Riley Cup in 1996, Sabates sold controlling interest minority partner Tim Braswell, who claimed he could make

900-610: Was looking to own and operate its own AHL team in the Las Vegas region in 2020–21, but it would not be the Wolves. The Golden Knights agreed to purchase the San Antonio Rampage franchise and move it to the Las Vegas area as the Henderson Silver Knights . On September 10, 2020, the Wolves announced an affiliation agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes . In addition, the Wolves added a temporary secondary NHL affiliate in

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