The Florida Panthers have found their new farm team.
Bringing together the two southernmost franchises in their respective leagues, the Panthers announced a multi-year affiliation agreement with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers on Sept. 10.
"It's an exciting day for the Panthers and Checkers organizations," Panthers General Manager Bill Zito said in a release. "Building success and establishing a strong culture at the American Hockey League level is vital to the development of our young players."
"The Checkers have built a winning culture, culminating in a 2019 Calder Cup Championship. We feel that with this affiliation, our prospects will be in the right environment to grow and develop into National Hockey League players."
Charlotte has made five playoff appearances since joining the AHL in 2010, including a long and exciting run all the way to a Calder Cup Championship in 2019. A longtime affiliate of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, they've also qualified for the playoffs in each of the last three campaigns.
This new partnership marks the second time the Panthers have joined forces with an AHL affiliate in North Carolina, with the last being the Carolina Monarchs (1995-96 to 1996-97).
"We are very fortunate to have found a great partner in the Florida Panthers," Checkers Chief Operating Officer Tera Black said. "We feel confident that this relationship will allow us to continue producing a high-level product while providing a great environment for player development. We look forward to welcoming their staff to Charlotte as soon as possible."
Panthers Assistant General Manager Eric Joyce described the new affiliation as "unbelievable."
"We just hired Bill Zito as our new general manager. He's a champion in this league," Joyce said, referring to Zito's championship as general manager of the AHL's Cleveland Monsters in 2016. "The Charlotte Checkers are a champion in this league. It's going to be an unbelievable place for players for them to grow up as both players and people. Charlotte's a wonderful city."
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