Also as it stands, the Checkers have had all of the following players miss at least 10 games thus far due to injury: Mike Benning, Zac Dalpe, MacKenzie Entwistle, Will Lockwood, Ryan McAllister, Aidan McDonough and Justin Sourdif.
There’s still plenty of season to go, but the fact that Charlotte is sitting in this position having weathered that onslaught of injuries is a feat in and of itself.
“We’ve had a different lineup almost every night because of injuries and guys getting called up and whatnot,” said defenseman Matt Kiersted. “So the lineup is always changing but whoever comes in is always ready to go and we’re rallying off that. I think a big thing is the ‘Next Man Up’ mentality.”
The process of ingraining that mentality started on day one.
“I think you look at it in the rear-view mirror a little bit, we had a big training camp with a lot of players,” said head coach Geordie Kinnear. “We had a lot of Savannah guys here and I think that was important, to kind of start building that because a lot of those guys are playing for us now.”
That list of players that have been out of the lineup for Charlotte features plenty of heavy hitters, especially in the production department. But rather than letting the removal of those offensive weapons throw the team off kilter, the Checkers have solidified as a unit.
“To the group’s credit, they haven’t wavered at all,” said Kinnear. “That’s just kind of the identity of the group and they’ve embraced it. They really enjoy each other and they’re doing it as a collective.”
The influx of roster turmoil has certainly provided a big challenge this season, but the Checkers are powering through, going 12-4-1-0 since Nov. 19 - a record that stands as a testament to how the team has put in the work to build that collective next-man-up identity.
“It’s definitely not easy but as you’re going through it you learn from it,” said Kiersted. “A guy comes in and he has to step up and guys have to rely on him - he knows that coming in. Guys are really stepping up and being accountable.”
“They’ve really bought into playing for each other,” said Kinnear. “But also individually they get better every single day and have taken ownership of that. It’s been good but we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
ALL-STAR COACH
As that hot run has pushed the Checkers up the league standings, it has also earned the bench boss a trip out west.By virtue of Charlotte having the highest points percentage in the division on Jan 1, Kinnear has been tapped to coach the Atlantic Division team at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in Coachella Valley.
While the team’s overall success in the standings earned Kinnear the honor, the way in which he has guided the Checkers through the first half of the season is a feat worthy of that fanfare.
“We’re very excited for him,” said Kiersted. “We actually gave him the game ball after the game. It’s a team thing but he runs us, we play his game and I think guys really enjoy playing for him. He pushes you and he gets the best out of you and it’s well deserved.”
For Kinnear, the honor lies in representing his team and organization on a big stage.
“I’ve been an assistant coach here, I’ve been a head coach here, I have a lot of passion for this city and for the Charlotte Checkers,” said Kinnear. “I have a lot of personal relationships with people I care for. So if I can go represent the collective I will do that all day, every day. I’m a big believer in the community here. Michael [Kahn, Checkers Ownership Partner], Tera [Black, Checkers COO], Derek [Wilkinson, Checkers Sr. VP of Hockey Ops] - since day one they have had a vision and I’m here to continue to build that family vision that they had all along.
INJURY UPDATE
With the team back in the Queen City following the post-holiday road trip, Kinnear provided updates on Charlotte’s lengthy injury list.The biggest news is that MacKenzie Entwistle, Ryan McAllister and Riese Gaber’s seasons have come to an end.
“[Entwistle and McAllister] will be out for the remainder of the year - regular season for sure,” said Kinnear. “Both had surgery and will be long term. Gaber will be long term too, he’s done for the year. He had knee surgery so he’ll be done for the year.”
Checkers captain Zac Dalpe suffered an injury on Dec. 18, and his timeline remains a bit of a question mark.
“He’ll be longer term,” said Kinnear. “I’m not sure of his status yet, we’re just going week-by-week. But he’s still a ways away.”
Two new names have been added to the list. Sandis Vilmanis missed the road trip finale and is considered week-to-week, while Mitch Vande Sompel got hurt in practice and is out longer term.
There were some positive injury updates as well, though - Benning returned to the lineup during the trip and notched a pair of assists over two games, Will Lockwood saw his first game action since Nov. 10 with Friday’s win over the Penguins and scored a goal and Riley Bezeau has resumed practicing, with Kinnear calling him “an option to play” this weekend.
Additionally, it appears that Aidan McDonough - who had 10 goals and 16 points in 16 games before getting injured on Nov. 29 - is progressing toward a return.
“He’s making strides,” said Kinnear. “He’s still a little bit away, but he’s the one guy that’s probably next in line to join the group. I look forward to getting him back on the ice and continuing to build with him in the lineup because he’s a pretty good player for us.”
OKULIAR KEEPS RISING
One player who has stepped up when needed has been Oliver Okuliar. The 24-year-old Slovakian forward has been a positive force during his first North American season with 17 points (10g, 7a) in 27 games.“Everything is good,” said Okuliar. “Everything is new for me but I feel good.”
Okuliar has built his game as the season has progressed, tying for the team lead in goals during the month of December and currently riding a run of nine points in his last 10 contests.
“Every game improves me, every practice improves me,” said Okuliar. “It’s way faster than I was used to. I like it.”
Before coming to Charlotte, Okuliar had logged lots of miles in his career. He went from his homeland to Canada for a pair of seasons in junior - 2018-19 in the QMJHL and 2019-20 in the WHL - before returning to Slovakia. He then spent a season in Finland before jumping to the top Czech league, where he put up strong production for Hradec Kralove during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns. Now, he’s back across the ocean tackling the North American pro game.
“The rink is smaller, that’s probably the biggest difference,” said Okuliar. “Everything happens faster. But it’s hockey. Everywhere it’s the same.”
Okuliar is one of many players who have made an impact as the team embraces the collective approach, and the success in the standings has illustrated how special this group can be.
“We have a good group of guys,” said Okuliar. “Good leadership group and us younger players try to support them and follow how they lead us. The group is good. We can do big things this year.”
