The Checkers made their first cuts on Thursday, removing five players from their training camp roster.
Following the second red/white scrimmage of training camp earlier in the day, the team assigned forwards Matt Beca and David Rutherford, defenseman Joe Sova and goalie Rob Madore to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Additionally, the team released defenseman Bobby Raymond, a camp invite who spent part of last season with the Everblades, from his tryout.
Training Camp Coverage
Beca and Sova were the only two players from the group who spent time with the Checkers last season. Beca, who signed his third two-way AHL contract with the Checkers in as many seasons this summer, had one assist in seven AHL games with Charlotte. Sova, who the Carolina Hurricanes acquired in a trade for Alexei Ponikarovsky last season, had four assists in 20 Checkers games last season before joining the Everblades during the postseason.
The only other player in today’s group with AHL experience is Raymond, who played 38 games with Binghamton last season. Raymond, who will now report to Florida, scored Team Red’s third goal in a 5-3 victory on Thursday.
Rutherford, a former ECHL Checker, returns to Florida for his third ECHL season. Madore, who finished his collegiate career at the University of Vermont this past spring, is set to begin his first pro campaign.
The Checkers’ training camp roster now stands at 31 players, with the majority of that group scheduled to make the trip to Norfolk for two preseason games this weekend.
An updated roster can be found here.
