Sandis Vilmanis posted a three-point game as the Charlotte Checkers (40-21-5-0) disposed of the Rochester Americans (28-26-5-4) by a score of 5-3 on Wednesday night at Blue Cross Arena.
The Florida Panthers have recalled defensemen Mikulas Hovorka and Tobias Bjornfot from the Checkers.
Hovorka, 24, has recorded four goals and 12 assists in 53 games this season. The Prague, CZE, native is in the midst of his second AHL campaign in Charlotte, totalling 26 points (7 goals, 19 assists) and a plus-23 rating in 113 appearances. The 6-foot-6, 229-pound defenseman made his NHL debut with the Panthers on February 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Bjornfot, 24, has skated in 32 games for Charlotte in 2025-26, producing 12 points (four goals, eight assists). The Upplands Vasby, SWE, native suited up for 11 games for Florida earlier this season, scoring two goals and adding one assist. In 145 NHL games with Florida, Los Angeles and Vegas, Bjornfot has notched 18 points (three goals, 15 assists).
The fan-favorite Tip-A-Checker event, in which Checkers players take on the role of servers and bartenders for the night, is making its return on April 15 at Ed’s Tavern in Dilworth.
It was a week of tight battles on the road for the Checkers, who bounced back from a tough start to sweep the Wolf Pack and bank key points in the playoff race.
