Offseason Weekly Report: June 4, 2018

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

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NEWS

Hurricanes Re-Sign Trevor Carrick To Two-Way Deal: The first member of the Checkers to re-up for next season was Trevor Carrick, who inked a one-year, two-way contract to avoid becoming an unrestricted free agent. The blue liner is coming off a career year statistically, racking up points at an unparalleled level down the stretch. Carrick logged a ton of minutes on the back end for Charlotte and stepped up as a leader and would be a huge piece for the Checkers next season. Given how strong he ended this past season, though, he could be a strong contender for an NHL job come training camp.

Checkers Announce Return of Junior Checkers: The Checkers are relaunching the Jr. Checkers at the Tier 1 AAA level, the highest in youth hockey. To start off, the program will field a 14U team for the 2018-19 season. Along with the previously announced First Goal and Mini Checkers programs, this marks another step towards growing hockey across the region.

Draft Party: After some luck in the lottery, the Canes will be selecting second at the NHL Draft on Friday, June 22. With a group of elite talent headlining this draft class, this pick will most likely provide an immediate impact for the Checkers’ NHL affiliate and you’re not going to want to miss it. We’ll be hosting a watch party at the Burger Company on Morehead where you can catch the live coverage and take advantage of $2 beer and 25% off appetizers.

Prospect Spotlight: Morgan Geekie

Last year we saw Warren Foegele turn a strong junior playoff run into an impressive rookie season with the Checkers. A candidate to pull off a similar feat next season is Morgan Geekie. After leading his Tri-City team in both goals and points for the second straight season, the forward led the entire WHL playoffs in goals despite the Americans falling the conference finals. A third-round selection by Carolina in the 2017 draft, Geekie racked up 202 points in 216 WHL games and earned himself an entry-level deal last month. He’ll turn 20 in July, making him eligible to play for the Checkers next season, something he got a taste of after practicing with the team during their recent playoff run.

Whatever Happened To: Jerome Samson

A member of the inaugural Checkers team, Jerome Samson spent three seasons with Charlotte and ranks seventh in franchise history with 109 points under his belt. After departing following the 2012-13 campaign, the Quebec native had a revitalized season with St. John’s where he logged 56 points in 68 games and helped lead the IceCaps to an Eastern Conference title.

Samson signed with the Syracuse Crunch the next summer but only logged eight points in 26 games before departing for Switzerland. He would move on to Germany’s top league from there, capturing a championship with Munich in 2015-16 and tying for second on Schwenningen in scoring in 2016-17. This past season saw the 30-year-old sign on in Austria with Vienna, but he only logged 11 games before suffering a season-ending injury.

Number of the Week: 43

Alex Nedeljkovic became the 13th goalie in AHL to score a goal when he lit the lamp earlier this season. With that tally, Nedeljkovic has now scored more goals in a Checkers sweater than 43 skaters in franchise history.