I have to tell you all… One of my favorite things here in my new city is hanging out with Leah. You guys need to get you a friend who is down to get out of the house every now and then. It was her who suggested that we go to an AHL game. Going to hockey games with Leah is always an event. Thank Goodness, she tries to include me in things. (I have only had that with a few people in my life.) So when she asks me… I am always down to go.

So… when she said that Checkers plays near by and that we need to see a game… I was down. I could use a getaway as of late so I was stoked to head out to Bojangles Coliseum. I had previously chosen to see the Hartford Wolfpack play… I figured that I would know at least some of the players. And I was not wrong.

The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the XL Center. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds but the team moved to Hartford in 1997 as the Hartford Wolf Pack. It is one of the oldest professional hockey franchises in existence, and the oldest continuously operating minor league hockey franchise in North America. The Wolf Pack is the top affiliate of the NHL’s  New York Rangers and is one of the four professional  hockey teams in Connecticut.

The Checkers play here in CLT. They are the top minor league affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). (Don’t ask me why? Their affiliate was the Carolina Hurricanes.) The Checkers play their home games at Bojangles’ Coliseum. Great arena… lots of parking… We arrived a bit late but it was still super fun. This is Leah’s favorite past time btw… She takes in a lot of Checkers games… But she does it in style.

We got to sit behind the glass. Leah makes sure that we had some great seats. Right behind the checkers players. I learned that you are not supposed to talk to them… Because they are working… Not that I would ever. I am too embarrassed to do so. However, I also can’t imagine how they can ignore us. But it definitely made sense. But we were up close and personal.

We (The Wolfpack) didn’t win… but at least we didn’t get shutout. The goalie for the Checkers was on his game. Couldn’t be mad. I will be down to see them again… hopefully their game tightens up. I ended up sitting next to some great people who seemed impressed that I recognized so many players. I mean… They really just participated in the training camp for NYR so…

The stadium had some great concessions as well as nice restaurants. Although the lines were crazy long. I had to Next time… I definitely want to eat at The Red Line Restaurant. The Red Line Club at Bojangles Coliseum offers a unique dining and party experience during Charlotte Checkers games. The restaurant sits between the Charlotte Checkers locker room and the ice, so you can high five players as they hit the ice, in between periods or after the game. Leah would love this. No lie.

Cheers to me being able to head out again. And cheers to me having a good time. Cheers to another good time soon.