Hughes, 26, appeared in 57 games with Charlotte’s ECHL affiliate, the Savannah Ghost Pirates, recording 15 goals and 18 assists. He helped lead the Ghost Pirates to their first Kelly Cup Playoff berth in franchise history, skating in four postseason games. The Westwood, MA, native played in 31 contests with the Checkers in the 2024-25 regular season, logging eight points (three goals, five assists).
McLinskey, 25, scored two goals and added three assists in 24 games for the Checkers last season. The Pearl River, NY, native joined the Checkers in April of 2025, potting five points (one goal, four assists) in six games. McLinskey played three full seasons at College of the Holy Cross from 2022-23 to 2024-25, racking up 126 points (64 goals, 62 assists) in 119 outings.
Fantilli, 23, played 40 games this past season at the University of Michigan, scoring 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.
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.
Charlotte will open the 2026-27 regular season on Saturday, October 3 in Hershey, PA, against the Bears. You can find their updated training camp roster here.
