Coachella Valley Firebirds captain Max McCormick has retired from professional hockey following a 12-year career.

Former Checker Julien Gauthier scored 14:50 into overtime to send the Springfield Thunderbirds past Charlotte and into the Atlantic Division semifinals with a 2-1 victory in a decisive Game 3 at Bojangles Coliseum on Saturday evening.

Zach Dean and Chris Wagner scored 49 seconds apart late in the second period, turning a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead and propelling Springfield to a 5-2 win at Charlotte in Game 2 on Friday night.

Noah Gregor scored twice, Jack Studnicka recorded four points and the Charlotte Checkers opened their Eastern Conference championship defense with a commanding 8-1 win over Springfield on Wednesday.

Called up from Charlotte to man the blue line for the injury-riddled Florida Panthers, Marek Alscher has made an impression in his first week in the NHL.

The Charlotte Checkers clinched a berth in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs on Wednesday evening thanks to the Springfield Thunderbirds’ 2-1 loss to Providence.

That first game back on home ice after a long road swing can be a trap. So the Charlotte Checkers were ready when the schedule brought them back to Bojangles Coliseum after a 10-game, 18-day road swing.

A lifetime of work culminated with one game for Mike Benning. Making his long-awaited NHL debut, the 24-year-old defenseman helped lift the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 overtime win against the Columbus on Thursday.

Sunday’s game between the Charlotte Checkers and the Hartford Wolf Pack has been rescheduled for Monday at noon ET due to unsafe ice conditions at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte.

The American Hockey League has announced five changes to the playing rosters for the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO, to be held February 10-11 in Rockford, Ill.