Head Coach
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.