To celebrate five years of Charlotte AHL hockey, we asked you, the fans, to pick the All-Time Checkers All-Star team! Your votes have been counted and we are happy to announce the winners throughout this week. Thank you to everyone who voted!
Anchoring the defense is one of the longest tenured Checkers, Michal Jordan. Serving as the third team captain in team history, Jordan is second all-time in games played, while leading all Charlotte blue liners in goals, assists and points.
Voting Breakdown: Defensemen
| 1. Michal Jordan |
32% |
| 2. Justin Faulk |
23% |
| 3. Brett Bellemore |
18% |
| 4. Bobby Sanguinetti |
15% |
| 5. Rasmus Rissanen |
5% |
Selected in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, began his pro career in the Checkers' inaugural season, leading all defensemen in plus/minus and ranking third overall among blue liners in scoring while playing in the second-most games by a Charlotte rookie that season.
Jordan quickly established himself as one of Charlotte's strongest defensemen, consistently logging top pairing minutes. The Czech native has finished in the top two among defensemen in scoring in three of his four seasons. He ranked fifth in 2012-13, but led Charlotte blue liners in goals with a career-high six despite playing in just 54 games.
With the departure of longtime captain Brett Sutter prior to this season, Jordan was named the third team captain in Checkers' history by head coach Jeff Daniels, called him a “a great example, a great pro and well-respected in that locker room”. As one of just five players to suit up for at least one game in each of the Checkers' first four seasons, Jordan has become a staple on the blue line, earning him the first defensemen spot on the All-Time All-Star team.
All-Time Checkers Stats
290 GP (2nd overall), 20 goals (1st among defensemen), 69 assists (1st among defensemen), 89 points (1st among defensemen), 124 PIM
Best Season
In the 2013-14 season, Jordan set new career highs in both assists, leading all team defensemen, and points, ranking second among defensemen. He also ranked second among defensemen in goals and accumulated the fewest penalty minutes of his career. The conclusion of that campaign also saw him move into second on the Checkers' all-time games played list.
Where Is He Now?
Although spending most of his season so far in Charlotte, Jordan earned the longest NHL stint of his career, appearing in 16 games for the Hurricanes. With the Checkers, Jordan has recorded eight points (2g, 6a) in 23 games while serving as the third team captain in team history.
