As we move toward the 48-hour mark until the Queen City Outdoor Classic, the energy around the front office is palpable.
“I would say it’s akin to the night before your wedding,” said Checkers COO Tera Black. “Or Christmas Eve or a huge, magnificent, once-in-a-lifetime trip that you’ve been planning for a long time. It’s a remarkably wonderful place to be.”
The last year has consisted of an unending stream of brainstorming, planning and executing all the various intricacies that come with putting on a historic event, but there’s now a light at the end of the tunnel for what has been a fruitful partnership between two of the Queen City’s oldest sports franchises in the Checkers and Knights.
“It’s been a remarkable collaboration from a group of human beings that are so dedicated to excellence that it’s just fun every time you go into a meeting,” said Black. “Working together with the Knights staff and our staff, two teams in the same market working collaboratively to bring to Charlotte this wonderful event has been a beautiful relationship.”
It’s not just the front office staff that’s champing at the bit for the festivities to kick off.
“Everyone has worked so hard for the outdoor game, and we want to make sure that we do our part,” said head coach Geordie Kinnear. “But I also know that the players have worked extremely hard to allow themselves to get these opportunities. We want to make sure our hard work pays off. We’re excited to play in front of the outdoor crowd in Charlotte in a great venue.”
A handful of players on the roster have skated in outdoor games before, whether it be at the college level, international play or even in the NHL. Even so, the setting for the Queen City Outdoor Classic offers a backdrop like no other.
“You look at the environment around, with all the buildings in Uptown Charlotte, it’s so vibrant," said Kinnear. "It’s going to be a night game so it’s going to be under the lights - I think that’s pretty darn cool if you’re asking me.”
Players often tip their cap to the enthusiasm of the crowds at Bojangles Coliseum on a nightly basis, and Saturday should see that home-ice advantage carry over to a new setting.
“I think I’m most excited to see all the fans come out and support us,” said forward Cam Morrison. “It’s a great venue and we’re all excited.”
Those fans have always been the life force for hockey in Charlotte, and the Queen City Outdoor Classic stands as a testament to their support.
“I feel like the Charlotte hockey community, the fans that come to our games, they just deserve something as remarkable as this,” said Black. “We have been around since the 50s, in one way or another, and the fanbase is so loyal that they deserve an event like this. It’s a gift that we can give back.”
It’s also another achievement for a Checkers franchise that has grown and evolved constantly since joining the AHL.
“You look at Michael [Kahn, Checkers owner] and Tera and all the work that they’ve put in,” said Kinnear. “I was here the first year they had an American Hockey League team here in Charlotte. You talk about hard work and being able to make it a staple in the city, I think they’re being rewarded for the hard work to be able to get that. There’s been a lot of success with this franchise and I think it’s well deserved. All their hard work is coming to fruition on Saturday.”
They’re on the cusp of making history with the first professional outdoor hockey game in Charlotte, but it’s not quite time for the Checkers staff to sit back and relax - with plenty of work still to be done to push things over the finish line. But that time is right around the corner.
“I think after the anthem and the flyover I’ll take a little break to exhale,” said Black. “And then I’ll really take all the time I can to enjoy it with our staff and reap the rewards of so much time and effort that has gone into this.”
It may just be a regular-season game on the schedule, but the team is ready to deliver for the Queen City on a special night.
“We’re proud to be the Charlotte Checkers,” said Kinnear. “We’re proud to play in such a great city. We’re definitely looking forward to it.”
