Checkers Turn the Page with Start of Training Camp
Published on September 30, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
The Checkers finished their 2024-25 campaign on June 23.
Just 98 days later, the slate has been wiped clean and training camp for the 2025-26 season has officially kicked off.
"It was a short summer, which I think we all kind of liked," said defenseman Eamon Powell. "We're eager to get back at it."
The break was quick, but it certainly provided some necessary rest after a marathon of a year.
"To be quite honest I needed a couple of weeks," said head coach Geordie Kinnear. "One, to get the emotion out of it and two, for the fatigue. Anytime you play to June, it's a good thing that you're tired."
That run to June saw the Checkers storm through the Eastern Conference en route to a date in the Calder Cup Finals with Abbotsford. The tightly contested series went to six games, but it was ultimately the Canucks who prevailed, lifting the Calder Cup on the Bojangles Coliseum ice.
"Once July ended, I really reflected on last year," said Kinnear. "Two wins short from winning it all at home, I think it's important that I feel the pain and that it's a driver this year for me to finish the job."
"It was a great experience but it leaves a sour taste in your mouth," said Powell, who joined the team at the end of his college season and ultimately played a big role in the postseason run. "Hopefully you can gear up and continue to improve this season and make our way back there."
The fuel from that heartbreak will no doubt drive the team throughout this new campaign, but day one of training camp signalled a time to officially turn the page.
The initial group hitting the ice is a smaller one that consists almost entirely of players on AHL contracts and players on tryout agreements. But regardless of the personnel, the intensity is noticeably high.
"I start it like I have everybody," said Kinnear of his approach to the start of training camp. "If you look at last year, a lot of the guys that were in this room last year ended up being key contributors for our run to the finals. I coach everybody the same, whether they're going to be here or not. If they go on somewhere else and we have to recall them, the standards have been established. I think that's important."
That approach feeds directly into the next-man-up mentality that the team has embraced.
"Florida's been in three Stanley Cup Finals, anytime you have that there's wear and tear and injuries along the way," said Kinnear. "I don't know if I've seen any team that doesn't have depth to be able to win. Depth is important and my job is to get these guys up to pace, whether it's a first-year player or a fifth-year player, if they've played 300 games or this is their first."
For a young player like Powell, these early days of camp can be a perfect stage to catch the eyes of the coaching staff.
"Showing them that I learned from the experiences last year and taking another step at the start of this year to keep growing as a player," said Powell. "I think that's kind of what I'm looking to show these first couple of weeks before the season starts, keep getting better and keep improving on the little details of my game."
"Very fast paced. I feel like that was one of our strengths last year. Everything is about the team - he's team-oriented, team first, he preaches that all year round. I think that's something that every guy takes away early in camp as we continue to grow as a team."
Training camp will continue on as the Checkers barrel toward the season opener on Oct. 11, with a slew of roster moves still set to shake out.
"I think there's a lot up in the air yet," said Kinnear. "A lot of bodies."
As things settle into place, the coaching staff has their focus on constructing their winning team - a process that begins on day one.
"As a coach the mindset is so important," said Kinnear. "A lot of coaches talk about structure - we want that, but I think you have to establish a mindset of how you want to play and then you can build structure from that. You can't do it in reverse, you can't build structure and then add the mindset later because it just doesn't work. We want our guys to play with some freedom. Obviously we have a certain style that we know is successful - it's not conducive for all players, so we're trying to find the right players to fit how we want to play."
American Hockey League Stories from September 30, 2025
- Flyers Sending 11 Players to Phantoms - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Checkers Turn the Page with Start of Training Camp - Charlotte Checkers
- Admirals Get Five from Nashville - Milwaukee Admirals
- Rangers Assign Eleven to Wolf Pack Training Camp Roster - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Condors Host San Jose in Preseason Action Saturday - Bakersfield Condors
- Henderson Silver Knights Announce 2025-26 Theme and Promotional Knights - Henderson Silver Knights
- Firebirds' Captain Max McCormick to Undergo Hip Surgery - Coachella Valley Firebirds
- Opening Weekend Set for October 17 & 18 - Charlotte Checkers
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Forward Scott Sabourin from Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- T-Birds Announce Initial Training Camp Roster - Springfield Thunderbirds
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