The Checkers have released defenseman Mike Little from his professional tryout contract.
Little, 27, will return to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, where he ranks tied for third on the team and tied for first among defensemen with 18 points (2g, 16a) in 20 games. The native of Enfield, CT, went scoreless in four games over two stints with the Checkers over the last two weeks, including a stretch in which he played four games in four days alternating between the ECHL and AHL levels.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound blueliner had been a healthy extra in each of the Checkers’ last two games with Keegan Lowe, who he filled in for in each of his recalls, able to return to the lineup. The move leaves the Checkers with six healthy defensemen, not including Beau Schmitz, who has missed the last nine games.
Charlotte retains the services of three players on PTOs – forwards Gabriel Desjardins, A.J. Jenks and Andrew Rowe. One other player, goalie Daniel Altshuller, began the season at the ECHL level.
Charlotte concludes its three-game trip with a rematch against the Oklahoma City Barons, who defeated them in overtime on Sunday. The Checkers then return home to host the Texas Stars this Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.) before embarking on a four-game trip through the Midwest.
