After playing a man down in Rockford on Thursday, the Checkers have brought in reinforcements for the final game of their road trip.
Kyle Bonis, a 24-year-old rookie forward who attended training camp with the Checkers this fall, will join the team from the ECHL’s Florida Everblades in time for Saturday’s contest in San Antonio. The Ferris State University product, who signed a two-way AHL/ECHL contract with Charlotte in August, was off to an excellent start with the Everblades, scoring five goals and seven points in seven games. At the time of his recall, he ranked tied for fourth in league goals and 11th in points.
If he plays against the Rampage, it would likely be in the place of Brody Sutter, who missed out on the recent 5-3 win in Rockford. Sutter’s absence, along with an injury to defenseman Rasmus Rissanen and the Carolina Hurricanes’ signing of Manny Malhotra, left the Checkers with just 17 skaters for the second of a back-to-back set.
Following tonight’s game, the Checkers will be off until Thursday, when they begin a four-game home stand with a game against the Chicago Wolves at Time Warner Cable Arena. Charlotte is 4-1-1 on its current trip, the longest in team history in terms of consecutive days away from home.
After finishing his senior season at Ferris State, Bonis (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) made his AHL debut with Norfolk on a professional tryout contract at the end of last season, scoring two points (1g, 1a) in six games. A former walk-on who went on to become team captain, the Lindsay, Ontario, native scored 77 points (47g, 30a) in 136 collegiate games, including back-to-back, 19-goal seasons in his junior and senior years.
