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The American Hockey League has released the Checkers' schedule for the upcoming season. In addition to printable and importable calendars, below are a few highlights and notes from the 76-game slate, including details about the first-ever AHL game at PNC Arena in Raleigh.
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OCTOBER ROAD SWING
The Checkers start the season with a season-high nine consecutive games on the road, beginning with the regular-season opener in Houston on Saturday, Oct. 13. The road swing, which ties the longest in the team's three AHL seasons, will be broken up into three separate trips – one to Texas to face new South Division rivals, and the subsequent two through the Midwest, ending with a game in Milwaukee on Halloween night.
HOME AT LAST
The first game at Time Warner Cable Arena takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4, when the Checkers host the Chicago Wolves. The game is the first of a four-game home stand that includes a rematch against the Wolves on Tuesday and a back-to-back set with Peoria starting Thursday. Though the full promotions schedule won't come out until a later date, the first 2,500 fans on opening night will receive a car flag from Time Warner Cable and the first 5,000 will receive a magnet schedule from Presbyterian Hospital.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
In contrast to the long road trip to open the season, the Checkers are scheduled to play a 10-game home stand, the longest in their AHL history, beginning with a match-up against Oklahoma City on Saturday, Nov. 24. That date also coincides with the Checkers' 5K Run & Walk in uptown Charlotte. The club will host a total of 10 home games in December leading up to its game against Peoria on Friday, Dec. 21.
DOUBLEHEADERS
Based on the success of the first-ever Checkers/Bobcats doubleheader towards the end of last season, the clubs will play two more dates this season. The first will take place on Saturday, Dec. 15, against the Houston Aeros, while the second is set for Saturday, Jan. 26, against Abbotsford. Both dates are 12 p.m. start times for the Checkers, with the Bobcats games set to begin at 7 p.m.
GAME IN RALEIGH
The Checkers will face the Norfolk Admirals in Raleigh at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 6, marking the first-ever American Hockey League game at PNC Arena, home of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are scheduled to host the New York Islanders the previous night, making the weekend an excellent opportunity to catch both teams in action. More details surrounding the event will follow.
THE HOMESTRETCH
After a light month of February that features just two home games and eight games total, the Checkers will play 14 of their next 18 games at Time Warner Cable Arena during what could be a crucial part of their season. That run includes home stands of five (March 9-17) and seven games (March 26-April 12).
THE OPPONENTS
The Checkers' schedule will again be almost completely based against Western Conference foes, with regional rival Norfolk the only Eastern team to appear on the docket for a renewal of the annual eight-game series. Charlotte is not scheduled to play against Hershey – the only other Eastern team it faced last season.
Charlotte will play each of its new South Division opponents – Houston, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Texas – eight times. For the second consecutive season, Charlotte will not face Hamilton, Rochester and Toronto in the Western Conference.
| Opponent Breakdown |
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| 4 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
4 |
8 |
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| 8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
4 |
8 |
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