The Carolina Hurricanes, parent club of the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, have acquired forward Connor Brickley from the Florida Panthers, parent club of the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, in exchange for forward Brody Sutter.
Brickley, 24, made his NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2015, as part of the Panthers’ opening-night roster. He played in 23 games with Florida in 2015-16, scoring one goal, earning four assists (five points) and averaging 8:43 of ice time per game.
The Everett, Mass., native also skated in 45 games with the Portland Pirates (AHL), notching 12 goals and earning 15 assists (27 points).
Brickley has recorded 35 goals and 41 assists for 76 points in 126 career regular-season AHL games with Portland and San Antonio. He was originally a second-round choice, 50th overall, by the Panthers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Sutter, a 25-year-old from Viking, Alta., played 70 games with Charlotte in 2015-16, registering 13 goals and 11 assists for 24 points. Current Thunderbirds head coach Geordie Kinnear was Charlotte’s assistant coach.
Sutter also played eight NHL games with Carolina last season.
Over four pro seasons, Sutter has skated in 211 games in the AHL, all with the Checkers, totaling 37 goals and 46 assists for 83 points. He was a seventh-round draft choice by Carolina in 2011, and has appeared in 12 career NHL contests.
