The shortest offseason in team history is wrapped up and the Checkers are set to kick off the 2025-26 campaign! Before the first puck drops this weekend in Springfield, here’s a cheat sheet to get to know this year’s squad.
The Forwards
#4 Jack Devine
A seventh-round pick by Florida in 2022, Devine is coming off a decorated four-year career at the University of Denver that saw him earn back-to-back First All-American Team spots, back-to-back Hobey Baker Award Finalist nods and a pair of national titles. He jumped onto the Checkers at the end of last season and posted two assists in three games, then appeared in seven more postseason contests and collected five points (2g, 3a) during the team’s Calder Cup Finals run.
#6 Ben Steeves
Steeves stood as the highest scoring rookie on the team last season, putting up 28 points (10g, 18a) in 60 games - a total that ranked fifth on the Checkers overall - and also tied for third in penalty minutes with 58. The 23-year-old chipped in six points during the team’s playoff run as well, including tying for fifth with four goals.
#7 Robert Mastrosimone
A free agency addition over the summer, Mastrosimone has played two years of pro hockey with the Toronto Marlies, recording 29 points (14g, 15a) in 95 games over that stretch. The native New Yorker was taken in the second round of the 2019 draft by Detroit and played four years of college hockey with Boston University and Arizona State.
#9 Ryan McAllister
McAllister got off to a scorching start to his sophomore campaign a year ago, racking up 15 points (7g, 8a) in 16 games before suffering an injury that put an end to his season. With a summer of recovery and a strong preseason ramp-up, McAllister - who has 39 points (16g, 23a) in 57 career AHL games for Charlotte - will be looking to pick up right where he left off.
#10 Liam McLinskey
Part of the contingent of college players who jumped onto Charlotte’s roster at the end of last season, McLinskey impressed with five points (1g, 4a) in six games. The 6-foot-3 forward starred for Holy Cross over the last three years, ranking second in the nation in scoring last season and earning back-to-back Hobey Baker Finalist nods.
#13 Kai Schwindt
Schwindt spent his first full pro season in Savannah last year, where he posted 19 points (8g, 11a) in 66 contests - the third-highest total among team rookies. He has also appeared in one game for Charlotte in each of the last two seasons.
#15 Anton Lundmark
The 24-year-old Lundmark is making the jump to North America after spending last season with Timra IK of his native Sweden’s top league, where he recorded nine points (5g, 4a) in 49 games.
#18 MacKenzie Entwistle
Injuries disrupted Entwistle’s first season in Charlotte, holding him to just seven games during the regular season. The 26-year-old - who was a third-round pick by Arizona in 2017 - made his return during the playoff run, though, and picked up three points (2g, 1a) in eight postseason tilts. Over his six pro seasons, Entwistle has logged 41 points (16g, 25a) in 87 AHL games and 35 points (15g, 20a) in 193 NHL games.
#19 Hunter St. Martin
A sixth-round pick by Florida in 2024, the 20-year-old St. Martin is coming off an impressive junior career with Medicine Hat - including a run this past season that saw him tie for 10th in the WHL with 39 goals and help the Tigers capture a league title.
#23 Jack Studnicka
The 26-year-old Studnicka brings nearly 350 pro games to the table for Charlotte - 225 in the AHL with 162 points (57g, 105a) to show for it and 107 NHL games with 16 points (6g, 10a). Last season Studnicka - a second-round pick by Boston in 2017 - starred for the Ontario Reign, posting 45 points in 72 games, including a career-high 29 helpers that ranked third on the team.
#24 Gracyn Sawchyn
Florida’s second-round pick in 2023, Sawchyn joins the pro ranks after racking up 200 points (67g, 133a) in 166 WHL games over three seasons with Seattle and Edmonton. The 20-year-old led the Oil Kings in goals, assists and points last season.
#25 Wilmer Skoog
The 26-year-old Skoog has totaled 55 points (31g, 24a) in 121 games for the Checkers over his two pro campaigns in the Queen City. Last season Skoog set a career high with 15 assists and tied for fifth on the team in postseason goals.
#26 Brian Pinho
Another big offseason acquisition, Pinho has collected 189 points (84g, 105a) in 362 AHL games over seven seasons as a pro. The 30-year-old forward is coming off a career year with Bridgeport last season where he notched 49 points in 65 games and led the team with 25 goals.
#28 Nolan Foote
A first-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2019, Foote brings 191 games of AHL experience - and 129 points (62g, 67a) - with him to Charlotte, as well as 30 NHL games for New Jersey. The 24-year-old Colorado native impressed for Utica last season with 39 points (18g, 21a) over 53 contests.
#29 Sandis Vilmanis
The 21-year-old Latvian has a year of North American pro hockey under his belt now, recording 27 points (9g, 18a) in 61 games for Charlotte - a total that ranked second among team rookies. Vilmanis also put up seven points (3g, 4a) in 11 games during the Checkers’ postseason run.
#36 Brett Chorske
The 6-foot-7 forward got a taste of the pro game at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, posting four points (3g,1a) in eight regular season games. Chorske - who earned a spot on the ECAC First All-Star Team last season to close out a four-year collegiate career with Colorado College and Colgate - then carved out a role during the AHL playoffs, posting three points (2g, 1a) in 12 games for Charlotte.
#39 Riese Gaber
Gaber was another player who had his last season ended prematurely due to injury. Prior to getting sidelined, the University of North Dakota product notched seven points (2g, 5a) in 14 games for the Checkers and two points (1g, 1a) in one ECHL game for Savannah as a rookie.
DEFENSEMEN
#2 Mike Benning
Benning was a key producer for Charlotte in his second pro season, ranking second among team blue liners with 32 points (9g, 23a) in 54 games. The 23-year-old - who has now totaled 58 points (18g, 40a) over 126 games as a pro for the Checkers - also broke out during the team’s run to the finals, tying for the league lead in postseason goals by a blue liner.
#3 Ludvig Jansson
Another Swede making their North American debut with the Checkers, Jansson has played in 100 games with Lulea over the last two seasons in his home country’s top league. Jansson - a fourth-round pick by Florida in 2022 - helped lead Lulea to an SHL championship last season and has twice represented Sweden at the World Junior Championships.
#5 Trevor Carrick
The franchise’s all-time games played leader is back for his 12th pro season and his seventh with the Checkers. Carrick - who captured a Calder Cup with Charlotte in 2019 - set a career high last season with 50 points (13g, 37a) in 67 games, becoming the third defenseman in franchise history to hit the 50-point mark.
#8 Mitch Vande Sompel
The 28-year-old blue liner was held to 13 games with Charlotte last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Now fully recovered, Vande Sompel is prepared for his ninth pro season with 311 AHL games under his belt.
#11 Eamon Powell
After finishing a five-year stint at Boston College that saw him collect an array of accolades - including a spot on the Second All-American Team in 2024-25 - Powell jumped onto the Checkers at the end of last season and notched two points (1g, 1a) in five regular season games and three points (0g, 3a) in four postseason games.
#12 Colton Huard
Another member of the Black Ace crew from last season’s playoff run, Huard made his pro debut for Charlotte and picked up one assist in three games. The Ontario-born blue liner spent four seasons at the University of New Hampshire prior to that and recorded 67 points (14g, 53a) in 134 games.
#14 Mikulas Hovorka
The 6-foot-6 Hovorka got his first taste of the North American game last season, posting 10 points (3g, 7a) in 60 games. The Czech blue liner took on a big role during Charlotte’s postseason run and added five helpers in 18 playoff games.
#27 Marek Alscher
A third-round pick by Florida in 2022, Alscher appeared in 53 games for Charlotte last season as a rookie and picked up 10 points (2g, 8a).
#35 Jake Livingstone
Livingstone joined Charlotte’s training camp via a professional tryout and has stuck around. The 26-year-old blue liner has two full pro seasons under his belt, logging 33 points (9g, 14a) in 127 games for the Milwaukee Admirals and making five appearances for the Nashville Predators. Prior to turning pro, Livingstone starred for Minnesota State-Mankato and was a two-time CCHA Defenseman of the Year.
#40 Tobias Bjornfot
After appearing in 18 games split between five different teams in 2023-24, Bjornfot settled into the Florida organization last season - notching 18 points (3g, 15a) in 50 games for Charlotte and adding 14 more NHL games for the Panthers. The 24-year-old Swede - who has played 159 AHL games, 134 NHL games and 22 SHL games over his career - also came up with seven points (2g, 5a) in 14 games during Charlotte’s run to the Calder Cup Finals last season.
GOALIES
#20 Kirill Gerasimyuk
A fifth-round-pick by the Panthers in 2021, Gerasimyuk is set to begin his North American pro career this season with Charlotte. The 22-year-old Russian has played the last four seasons in his home country’s VHL - including leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage during the 2024 postseason.
#31 Cooper Black
A key part of Charlotte’s goalie platoon last season as a rookie, Black went 11-4-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. The 6-foot-8 netminder also recorded three shutouts, a figure that tied for the league lead among first-year goalies.
