Bojangles Game Preview: October 17 and 18 vs Iowa
Published on October 17, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
Before the Checkers take the ice this season, we're breaking down everything fans need to know with the Bojangles Game Preview!
Home opening weekend is finally here for the Checkers, who are hosting the Iowa Wild for a pair of tilts.
THE MATCHUP
Record/Standings
CLT - 1-1-0-0 (5th Atlantic)
IA - 0-2-0-0 (7th Central)
Power Play / Penalty Kill
CLT - 37.5% (t-6th) / 66.7% (25th)
IA - 0.0% (t-22nd) / 50.0% (t-31st)
Offense / Defense
CLT - 3.50 GF/Game (t-11th) / 4.50 GA/Game (27th)
IA - 1.50 GF/Game (t-28th) / 5.00 GA/Game (t-28th)
Head-To-Head
0-0-0-0
THE STORYLINES
HOME SWEET HOME
After the shortest offseason in team history, the defending Eastern Conference Champions are back at Bojangles Coliseum. Last season the Checkers defended their home ice well, finishing with the fifth-best home record in the Eastern Conference. Their offense came alive at the Coliseum for the end of the regular season, as they went 6-3-0-0 over the last nine games and scored at least four goals in each of those wins.
CAPTAIN CARRICK
Ahead of the home opener, Trevor Carrick was named the eighth captain in franchise history. The veteran blue liner is in his 12th season as a pro and his seventh in Charlotte, and his 416 games in a Checkers sweater are the most in franchise history. Carrick is also coming off of a big year in which he set a career high with 50 points and became the third defenseman in team history to hit that threshold.
STEEVES POWERS UP
The first two games of the season saw the Checkers enjoy success on the man advantage, converting three times on eight opportunities. Two of those three tallies came off the stick of Ben Steeves, who is now halfway to his 60-game total of four power-play goals last season as a rookie.
NEW GUY DELIVERS
Jack Studnicka has wasted no time getting onto the score sheet for Charlotte, leading the team with three points through the first two games of the season. The 26-year-old - who was taken in the second round by Boston in 2017 - ranked third on Ontario last season with 29 helpers and ranked fifth with 45 points.
THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte
Jack Studnicka - 3 points in first 2 games of season
Ben Steeves - 2 power-play goals in first 2 games of seaosn
Ryan McAllister - 2 points in first game of season
Iowa
Tyler Pitlick - 2 goals in first 2 games of season
Riley Heidt - 1 goal in first 2 games of season
Matt Kiersted - First game against Checkers after four seasons in Charlotte
THE INFO
Friday's game is Opening Night presented by Novant Health! The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a replica Eastern Conference Champions banner courtesy of Novant Health while supplies last.
Saturday is our annual My First Checkers Game, where kids tickets are $5 with the purchase of an adult ticket.
If you can't make it to the Coliseum this weekend, the games - along with every game this season - are available via the new AHLTV on FloHockey! Click here to get a subscription.
Fans can also listen to the radio broadcast on the Checkers App or online.
American Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2025
- Series Preview- Tucson Roadrunners vs Calgary Wranglers - Tucson Roadrunners
- Griffins Improve to 3-0 by Downing Moose in Home Opener - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Stars Secure First Point in Overtime Loss - Texas Stars
- Manitoba Moose Downed by Grand Rapids Griffins, 5-2 - Manitoba Moose
- Five-Goal First Period Propels Amerks Past Comets - Rochester Americans
- Kolosov with 35 Saves Blanks Cleveland - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Monsters Drop 3-0 Decision to Phantoms - Cleveland Monsters
- Steeves, Tufte Tally Twice in P-Bruins' Victory over Islanders - Providence Bruins
- Penguins Sprint Past Wolf Pack, 5-2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Wolf Pack Fall 5-2 to Penguins - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Canucks Fall 3-0 to the Laval Rocket - Abbotsford Canucks
- Checkers Return Home with Beatdown of Iowa - Charlotte Checkers
- Comets Drop First of Two this Weekend, Fall to Amerks 7-4 - Utica Comets
- Iowa Drops Weekend Series Opener to Charlotte in 6-2 Defeat - Iowa Wild
- Islanders Defeated at Home by Bruins, 5-3 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Anaheim Ducks Recall Ian Moore from San Diego - San Diego Gulls
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Forward Scott Sabourin from Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2025 - Hershey Bears
- Iowa Wild Signs Forward Gerry Mayhew to One-Year, One-Way AHL Contract - Iowa Wild
- Sharks Acquire Defenseman Kyle Masters from Wild - San Jose Barracuda
- Minnesota Wild Acquires Forward Oskar Olausson from San Jose in Exchange for Defenseman Kyle Masters - Iowa Wild
- San Diego Gulls to Make Home Debut Saturday, October 18 - San Diego Gulls
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Defenseman Steven Santini from Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Preview: Phantoms at Monsters, Game 3 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Rangers Assign Connor Mackey to Wolf Pack - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Crotty, Harrington, Washkurak, Jenik, Hodgson Join Pilon in Belleville Sens 2025-26 Leadership Group - Belleville Senators
- Capitals Recall Ethen Frank from Hershey - Hershey Bears
- Bojangles Game Preview: October 17 and 18 vs Iowa - Charlotte Checkers
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