Charlotte Checkers (1956–1977)

This article is about the Eastern Hockey League and Southern Hockey League franchise that played from 1956–77. For the ECHL franchise that played from 1993–2010, see Charlotte Checkers (1993–2010). For the current AHL franchise, see Charlotte Checkers (2010–).

Charlotte Checkers
City	Charlotte, North Carolina
League	Eastern Hockey League (1956-73) Southern Hockey League (1973-77)
Operated	1956–1977
Home arena	Charlotte Coliseum
Franchise history
1954–1956	Baltimore Clippers
1956–1960	Charlotte Clippers
1960–1977	Charlotte Checkers

The Charlotte Checkers were an American ice hockey team in Charlotte, North Carolina, playing in the Eastern Hockey League and Southern Hockey League.

Franchise history

On Jan. 23, 1956, Carlin's Iceland in Baltimore burned down, forcing the EHL's Baltimore Clippers to scramble for a place to play their last 12 home games. Five of them were played at the Charlotte Coliseum (now Bojangles' Coliseum), drawing over 40,000 fans. Amid such a strong reception, the Clippers moved to Charlotte full-time for the 1956-57 season, becoming the state's first professional hockey team. They became the Checkers in 1960.^[1]

As the Clippers, the team won the EHL's Atlantic City Boardwalk Trophy in 1956-57 and back-to-back Walker Cup regular season titles the first two seasons in Charlotte.^[2] The Checkers would win the EHL title again in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons. Along with most of the EHL's Southern Division, the Checkers joined the Southern Hockey League in 1973, along with the Macon Whoopees, Greensboro Generals, Roanoke Valley Rebels, Suncoast Suns and Winston-Salem Polar Twins. Charlotte would win SHL titles in 1974-75 and 1975-76 before that league's demise in 1977.

References

1. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=eQALBnDckHUC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=Charlotte+Checkers+EHL&source=bl&ots=ul3ICSNIAZ&sig=Kv-rht6Y-89Wk2FZNz8v-L8TRaI&hl=en&ei=nohfSvCvLZDCNcO0gcAC&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6
2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=eQALBnDckHUC&pg=PA6&lpg=PA6&dq=Charlotte+Checkers+EHL&source=bl&ots=ul3ICSNIAZ&sig=Kv-rht6Y-89Wk2FZNz8v-L8TRaI&hl=en&ei=nohfSvCvLZDCNcO0gcAC&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6