Offseason Weekly Report: June 11, 2018

Details
Each week during the offseason the Checkers PR staff will highlight news, notes and other various things to keep you in the loop.

NEWS

Hurricanes Re-Sign Andrew Poturalski To Two-Way Deal: The Hurricanes continue to bring pending free-agents back into the fold, inking Andrew Poturalski to a new deal after the conclusion of his entry-level contract. After leading the team in scoring as a rookie in 2016-17, Poturalski stepped up his goal-scoring game last season and eclipsed his previous career high with 22 tallies, good for fourth on the club.

The 24-year-old finished the season strong with 11 points in the last nine regular season games, and from December through the end of the season only Lucas Wallmark scored more than Poturalski. The forward could challenge for an NHL job in what is setting up to be a wide-open training camp for Carolina, but should he re-join the Checkers Poturalski would provide a strong scoring presence up top.

Checkers Re-Sign Patrick Brown To Two-Way Deal: The Hurricanes have also brought back Patrick Brown for his fifth season with the organization. Brown has been a mainstay with the Checkers through a litany of changes, wearing a letter in each of the last three campaigns and serving as captain for the last two. The 26-year-old brings strong guidance to a young forward corps for Charlotte and makes an impact on the scoresheet as well, setting a new career high with 20 helpers last season.

Father's Day Pack Announced: A ticket to three of our guaranteed dates for the 2018-19 season – including the home opener on Oct. 19 – for only $45. That’s the best Father’s Day present around and it’s not even close.

Prospect Spotlight: Jake Bean

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The 13th overall pick in 2016, Jake Bean put together a strong WHL career with Calgary and Tri-City, racking up 196 points (49g, 147a) over 219 games – headlined by a dominant 2015-16 season that saw him lead all WHL blue liners with 24 goals. Having turned 20 over the weekend, Bean is eligible to begin his pro career next season in Charlotte, where he appeared for one game during the Checkers’ most recent Calder Cup run. The Alberta native fits into the mold of offensively gifted, dynamic defensemen that has populated the Charlotte blue line over the last few years and, should he spend time in the AHL next season, could be poised for a strong rookie campaign.





Whatever Happened To: Drayson Bowman

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Selected by Carolina in the third round of the 2007 draft, Drayson Bowman was a member of the inaugural Checkers team and would log 78 points (39g, 39a) in 130 games over three seasons in a Charlotte sweater from 2010-2013. He would split each of those three seasons between the AHL and NHL before making the full-time jump to Carolina for the 2013-14 campaign, when he notched 12 points in 70 games.

Bowman would depart from the organization as a free agent following that season, signing on with Montreal and spending the majority of his 2014-15 season with their AHL affiliate at the time, the Hamilton Bulldogs, and setting a career high with 33 points in 62 games. The following season saw Bowman ink an ECHL deal with the Colorado Eagles, but he would only log three games there before re-joining the Checkers on a PTO. The forward put up four points in 16 games during his new stint with his old team, and at the conclusion of his tryout he would make the jump overseas to finish the season with Duesseldorf of the top German league.

Bowman would spend the entirety of the 2016-17 campaign with Duesseldorf, tying for second on the team in goals, but would return to North America this past summer. Bowman signed an ECHL deal to once again join the Colorado Eagles and spent the entirety of the season with the club, ranking third on the team in scoring during the regular season and helping the team to capture a Kelly Cup last week.

Number of the Week: 5

The number of defensemen who have been called upon for a shootout more than once while in a Charlotte sweater – Justin Krueger (nine attempts), Bryan Rodney (5), Bobby Sanguinetti (3), Danny Biega (2) and Trevor Carrick (2).