Checkers Stumble in Return to Ice
Published on October 16, 2021 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
HERSHEY, PA - The Checkers made their triumphant return to the ice and kicked off the 2021-22 season Saturday in Hershey, but stumbled en route to a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Bears.
A penalty-laden first period saw Aleksi Heponiemi notch the first goal of the campaign for the new-look Checkers, splitting the defense for a quick breakaway tally to erase an early Hershey lead, but things would tilt toward the home team from there.
Back-to-back strikes on the man advantage gave Hershey a two-goal lead early on in the second and they wouldn't look back. Alex True ripped a wrister into the top corner on a rush to pull Charlotte back within striking distance heading into the final frame, but the Bears reestablished their lead 24 seconds into the third and then found the back of the net again later in the third to put the nail in the coffin for a Checkers team struggling to put a rally together.
A bright spot for a Checkers team that couldn't quite find the offensive spark through the night was rookie forward Logan Hutsko, who set up both goals to pick up a pair of assists in his first pro game.
Christopher Gibson faced a slew of pucks in the crease for Charlotte, stopping 29 of the 24 shots on goal, while Hershey's Pheonix Copley saw just 15 shots on the night from the Checkers, including four over the final 40 minutes of play.
Notes
Tonight was the Checkers' first game since March 11, 2020 ... It was also the first game for Charlotte's new dual NHL affiliation with the Florida Panthers and the Seattle Kraken ... This was the second consecutive season opener that the Checkers has lost, bringing them to 5-5-1-0 all time ... Zac Dalpe wore the C for the first time since being named captain earlier this week ... Aleksi Heponiemi and Gustav Olofsson served as alternate captains ... Logan Hutsko made his pro debut and picked up his first two pro points with a pair of assists ... Karch Bachman missed the game due to injury ... Luke Henman, Ryan Lohin, Frank Hora and Antoine Bibeau were all healthy extras
Up Next
The Checkers travel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tomorrow to wrap up their road trip with a 3:05 p.m. puck drop against the Penguins.
American Hockey League Stories from October 16, 2021
- Stars Blanked by Wild in Season Opener - Texas Stars
- Marlies Top Moose 5-1 in Home Opener - Toronto Marlies
- Marlies Top Moose 5-1 in Home Opener - Toronto Marlies
- Wolves Drop Season Opener to Rockford - Chicago Wolves
- Islanders Get Point in the Road at Providence - Bridgeport Islanders
- Monsters Use Late Dramatics to Best Crunch in 5-4 Win - Cleveland Monsters
- Power Play Propels T-Birds to Opening Night Win - Springfield Thunderbirds
- P-Bruins Open 2021-22 Season with 2-1 Win over Bridgeport Islanders - Providence Bruins
- Bears Topple Checkers on Opening Night, 5-2 - Hershey Bears
- Checkers Stumble in Return to Ice - Charlotte Checkers
- Lindberg Steals the Show in Penguins' Opening-Night Win - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Foerster Scores First Goal of Season - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Wolf Pack Drop 2-1 Decision to Thunderbirds - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Huntington Records Natural Hat Trick in 5-4 Overtime Loss to Monsters - Syracuse Crunch
- Moose Fall to Toronto 5-1 - Manitoba Moose
- Abbotsford Training Camp Primer - Abbotsford Canucks
- Iowa Wild Announces Captains for 2021-22 Season - Iowa Wild
- Wolf Pack Head to Springfield Looking to Play Opening Night Spoiler - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Goaltender Amir Miftakhov to Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Heat Look for Two Points against Tucson Saturday - Stockton Heat
- Barracuda Hire Kendra Hodgdon as Manager of Marketing and Digital Media - San Jose Barracuda
- Preds Summon Ingram, Ads Recall Gahagen - Milwaukee Admirals
- Schneider Named Admirals Captain - Milwaukee Admirals
- Blue Jackets Recall Forward Justin Danforth from Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Game Preview: Checkers at Bears, 7 PM - Hershey Bears
- Islanders Continue Busy Opening Weekend in Providence - Bridgeport Islanders
- IceHogs and Wolves Open Illinois Rivalry for 2021-22 Season Tonight in Rosemont - Rockford IceHogs
- Henderson Takes 5-4 Victory in Home Opener Shootout - Henderson Silver Knights
- Eagles Pick up Point in Shootout Loss at Henderson - Colorado Eagles
- Heat Earn Point in Season Opener against Tucson - Stockton Heat
- Griffins Open Season with 6-1 Win - Grand Rapids Griffins
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
