Head Coach
Geordie Kinnear became the sixth head coach in Checkers’ AHL history on Sep. 10, 2020, when Charlotte announced their new affiliation with the Florida Panthers.Kinnear has been the head coach for Florida’s AHL affiliate since 2016-17, leading the Springfield Thunderbirds for four seasons before joining the Syracuse Crunch’s staff during the shortened 2020-21 campaign in which the Checkers didn’t play.
Prior to that Kinnear was an assistant coach for the Checkers from their inaugural AHL season in 2009-10 until the 2015-16 campaign, coming to Charlotte after spending seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Albany River Rats.
As a player, Kinnear appeared in 406 career AHL games over seven seasons with Albany, totaling 98 points (30g, 68a) and 1,094 penalty minutes. A seventh-round draft pick by the New Jersey Devils in 1992, Kinnear also appeared in four NHL games with the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999-00, as well as 80 IHL contests with the Orlando Solar Bears.