The Charlotte Checkers have signed defenseman Mitch Vande Sompel, forward Will Bitten, goaltender Vinnie Purpura and defenseman Luca Fantilli to one-year, one-way AHL contracts.
Vande Sompel, 29, skated in 36 games for the Checkers this past season, recording 11 points (four goals, seven assists). The London, ON, native has made 63 appearances over the past three seasons with Charlotte after being acquired from the Chicago Wolves on March 8, 2024. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound blueliner has suited up for 347 AHL games in his career, logging 128 points (33 goals, 95 assists) and 155 penalty minutes with Bridgeport, Colorado, Chicago and Charlotte. He has played 21 postseason games, including three with the Checkers in 2024. The New York Islanders selected Vande Sompel in the third round (82nd overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Bitten, 27, spent the 2025-26 campaign with Sochi HC of the KHL, posting 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 59 games. The Ottawa, ON, native has played in Russia for the past two years. In his AHL career, Bitten has notched 180 points (80 goals, 100 assists) and 146 penalty minutes in 346 games with the Iowa Wild and Springfield Thunderbirds. The 5-foot-11, 184-pound winger has 31 AHL postseason contests under his belt, recording 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists). Bitten last appeared in the AHL in 2023-24 with Springfield and was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round (70th overall) of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Purpura, 27, spent last season with the ECHL’s Reading Royals and Savannah Ghost Pirates. The Lemont, IL, native logged a 3-0-0 record with Reading before joining the Ghost Pirates via trade on December 13. With Savannah, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound netminder suited up for 36 games, sporting a 19-17-0 record with a goals-against average of 2.79 and a save percentage of .910. Purpura helped lead the Ghost Pirates to their first postseason berth in franchise history, amassing a GAA of 2.86 and a save percentage of .923 in four playoff outings.
Fantilli, 23, played 40 games this past season at the University of Michigan, registering four goals and 13 assists. The Nobleton, ON, native played four years with the Wolverines, appearing in 147 contests and posting 38 points (eight goals, 30 assists) and a plus-40 rating. Fantilli served as an alternate captain during his senior year in 2025-26. Prior to attending Michigan, the 6-foot, 183-pound defenseman spent two campaigns with the USHL’s Chicago Steel, captaining the team to a Clark Cup championship in 2021-22. Fantilli’s younger brother, Adam, is a center for the Columbus Blue Jackets; the two played together at Michigan in 2022-23.
The Florida Panthers announced today the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Cooper Black on a two-year, two-way contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
Black, 24, appeared in 42 games with the Checkers in the 2025-26 season, sporting a record of 25-13-4 with a goals-against average of 2.47 and a save percentage of .903.
The Alpena, MI, native ranked first in wins among rookies and fourth among all AHL goaltenders. He also led rookie netminders in minutes played (2501:53).
In two seasons with the Checkers, Black is 36-18-15 with a GAA of 2.37, a save percentage of .903, and has notched four shutouts.
