Weekly Report: March 9

The behemoth of a road trip is finally behind the Checkers, who turned it in the final week to come home with an impressive record across the trek.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Bears 3, Checkers 2 (OT)

The Checkers kicked off the week with a tight Monday-night tilt in Hershey that saw the visitors erase an early deficit with two quick strikes later in the first - building a lead that they would cling on to until the third. The Bears would kick off the third with an equalizer, though, sending the game on a course for overtime. Less than a minute in the extra frame Hershey would convert, ending the contest and claiming the two points in the standings.

Checkers 4, Bears 1

The following night’s rematch was similarly close for the first half of regulation, as Noah Gregor opened the scoring for Charlotte early in the second only for Hershey to knot things back up later in the frame. The Checkers were able to seize control of the game, however, when Robert Mastrosimone pushed them back ahead with a goal in the final minute of the second and Nolan Foote extended that with a goal in the opening minute of the third. With a two-goal advantage on their side, the Checkers rode out the remainder of regulation and tagged on an empty netter to seal the victory.

Checkers 5, Phantoms 3

The Checkers kept their tour of Pennsylvania rolling with a visit to Lehigh Valley three days later. After a power-play strike from the Phantoms made it 1-1 early in the second, Charlotte tilted the ice its way - to the tune of three straight goals that piled up a 4-1 lead for the visitors early in the third. The home team made a push in the final minutes of the third - narrowing the deficit to three goals before a Mikulas Hovorka empty netter got it back for Charlotte, then notching a power-play tally with one second left on the clock - but it wouldn’t be enough to overtake the Checkers.

Checkers 5, Phantoms 4 (OT)

The final leg of Charlotte’s three-week road trip was a wild one. The Checkers came out blasting and pushed themselves to a 4-0 lead by the time the first horn sounded. The Phantoms wouldn’t roll over, though, and over the next two periods they would hold Charlotte in check and chip away at the deficit until - with under five minutes to play - David Jirieck scored on the game’s lone power play to send the contest to overtime. The Checkers righted the ship in the extra frame thanks to the recently returned Sandis Vilmanis, who swooped into the zone, collected a slick feed from Robert Mastrosimone and put it past the Phantoms netminder for his second goal of the game - this one sealing a big win for his squad.

QUICK HITS

ROAD WARRIORS

The Checkers finished this beast of a road trip - which lasted nearly three weeks and took the team through six different cities - with a 6-2-2-0 record. That successful trek keeps them as one of the league’s top road teams this season, as they boast the AHL’s fourth best record away from home.

With that trip behind them, the final stretch of the regular season will see the Checkers getting plenty of home cooking - of the 16 games remaining on the slate, 10 will be played at Bojangles Coliseum.

FREE HOCKEY

The Checkers went beyond regulation seven times across the first 46 games of this season. During this 10-game road trip, they had five games go to overtime or a shootout. Charlotte won its one shootout during the trip - moving to a perfect 2-0 on the season - and split the four overtime contests to keep an even 5-5 record in those instances.

Charlotte’s current .583 winning percentage in games that go past regulation ranks as the 10th best in the AHL.

BENNING DELIVERS ON THE BLUE LINE

Riding out the road trip on a three-game point streak, Mike Benning has spent the last few months pouring in the offense from the Charlotte blue line. He has found the score sheet in eight of the last 12 contests, and in the 24 games since Jan. 10 he has piled up 18 points - a total that ranks third among all AHL blue liners over that stretch of time.

With 16 games left on the regular-season schedule, Benning sits with 31 points. Across the franchise’s history only nine defensemen have reached the 40-point mark.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Fresh off an NHL stint and representing his country at the Olympics, Sandis Vilmanis caps off the road trip with a stellar OT winner!

VILMANIA RUNNING WILD pic.twitter.com/uXay4bfng7

— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) March 8, 2026

Transactions

Incoming

• March 7 - Sandis Vilmanis assigned from Florida (NHL)
• March 7 - Tobias Bjornfot assigned from Florida (NHL)

Outgoing

• March 7 - Luke Kunin recalled by Florida (NHL)

RANKINGS

• Brett Chorske is tied for the league lead among rookies in shorthanded goals (2)
• Mikulas Hovorka is tied for second among AHL defensemen in shorthanded goals (1)
• Cooper Black ranks third in the AHL in wins (22)
• Kirill Gerasimyuk is tied for fourth in the AHL in shutouts (3)
• Brett Chorske is tied for fifth among AHL rookies in game-winning goals (4)
• Jack Devine is tied for seventh among AHL rookies in plus-minus (+16)
• Jack Devine ranks eighth among AHL rookies in points (33)
• Jack Devine ranks eighth among AHL rookies in shots on goal (111)
• Mikulas Hovorka is tied for eighth among AHL defensemen in plus-minus (+22)
• Mitch Vande Sompel is tied for ninth among AHL defensemen in shorthanded assists (1)
• Jake Livingstone is tied for ninth among AHL defensemen in shorthanded assists (1)
• Mike Benning ranks ninth among AHL defensemen in shots on goal (110)
• Cooper Black ranks 10th in the AHL in goals-against average (2.54)

By the Numbers

CATEGORY	RECORD	AHL RANK
Power play	15.5%	27th
Penalty kill	83.5%	7th
Goals per game	3.36	5th
Shots per game	30.48	6th
Goals allowed per game	2.80	t-8th
Shots allowed per game	25.46	t-2nd
Penalty minutes per game	11.71	24th

LEADERS

CATEGORY	LEADER(S)
Points	Wilmer Skoog, Ben Steeves (34), Jack Devine (33)
Goals	Ben Steeves, Wilmer Skoog (18), Jack Devine, Nolan Foote (14)
Assists	Mike Benning (23), Jack Devine (19), Nolan Foote (18)
Power play goals	Ben Steeves (7), Robert Mastrosimone, Jack Devine (3)
Shorthanded goals	Brett Chorkse (2), Four tied (1)
Game-winning goals	Nolan Foote, Brett Chorske (4), Three tied (3)
Shots on goal	Nolan Foote (142), Ben Steeves (141), Wilmer Skoog (115)
Penalty minutes	Ben Steeves (68), Jack Devine (45), Mike Benning (40)
Plus/minus	Mikulas Hovorka (+22), Jack Devine (+16) Marek Alscher (+14)
Wins	Cooper Black (22)
Goals-against average	Cooper Black (2.54)
Save percentage	Cooper Black(.904)