Teams often embody their coach in their identity in the way that they play. In the Charlotte Checkers case, it’s how people often describe Geordie Kinnear, a hard-nosed coach who played that way back in the 1990s. A line often tossed around in the American Hockey League (AHL) circles is that he’s a tough nut to crack, or to talk to him, he must be in the right mood to do so.
Following a 7-1 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack must have been a good time. Kinnear talked in detail about his style and how he’s built the Checkers into a juggernaut in a conversation with Hockey Hot Stove.
Kinnear’s a direct coach who demands high energy and pressure from his players. In a league that values possession and valuable shots, he wants the Checkers to play fast with a high volume of shots on the net. “It is a little bit different, we’ve had success with it, it fits the players that come here so it’s how we think the game should be played,” Kinnear stated after the win over the Wolf Pack.
The Checkers play that way by springing their forwards out and stretching out the defense. It’s a style that requires forwards who can skate and buy into that system. Kinnear admitted that it took time to get the players to buy in, especially since the Checkers roster was overhauled from last season, when they made it to the Calder Cup Final.
This season, the question was whether the Checkers would have the mileage to play this way. They started slow but their play as of late suggests they can dominate again. They are playing at peak form but now, the wonder is whether they are peaking too early. Only time will tell for a fascinating Checkers team led by a fascinating coach.
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins Winning Ways a Credit to the Culture
The word “culture” is thrown around a lot in hockey and is often overused. In the AHL, it’s everything, and the coaches always talk about ways they look to build the culture before the season begins. It’s all about building a winning environment that gets the most out of prospects.
The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins needed a great environment, considering the turnovers they’ve had this season. They’ve gone through a surplus of players, even by AHL standards, with 46 players appearing in 45 games. The tight-knit group explains how they’ve remained in second place in the Atlantic Division, even with all of the turnover.
“It’s a great group of guys. They have a lot of fun together, maybe too much,” head coach Kirk MacDonald noted after the Feb. 1 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It’s not just the camaraderie, it’s the energy they’ve had since the season began, with MacDonald adding, “It’s a great group, you can feel it on the bench, in practice, and the energy has been great.”
It’s a credit to the rebuild the Pittsburgh Penguins have put together. They added veterans to the AHL team who could both play at a high level and mentor the younger players. Phil Kemp, for example, is the veteran defenseman who pairs with the prospect Owen Pickering and helped him learn the position since the season began. His presence has turned Pickering into one of the Penguins top prospects and someone they’ll look to add as a regular down the road.
Other AHL Notes
The Wolf Pack are playing poorly across the board, with the recent stretch particularly standing out. They lost 6-3 on Jan. 30 to the Bridgeport Islanders and 4-1 the following night to the Springfield Thunderbirds. They’ve been outscored 21-6 in the last four games. They sit in last place in the Atlantic Division, and the question is whether they’ll wait until the offseason to make changes or if there’s something brewing beforehand.
The Grand Rapids Griffins are going through what the Colorado Avalanche are going through. Specifically, it’s cruise control for a team that’s locked up the best record in the Central Division. It’s why the Griffins lost three games in a row before taking the Saturday night game. Suddenly, they are no longer four points ahead of the Providence Bruins for the best record in the AHL.
Speaking of the Bruins, they are on a tear. They’ve won seven games in a row, including sweeping the back-to-back in Charlotte against the Checkers. The two wins against a hot Checkers team go a long way and were the Bruins way of getting revenge against the team that eliminated them from the Calder Cup Playoffs last season.
It wouldn’t be the AHL without a little craziness. This week, it followed the Checkers as the snow and weather in the area forced them to play in an empty arena against the Bruins on Sunday. It’s the third game they’ve had affected by the snow this season.
- Their Dec. 27 game against the Phantoms was postponed because they couldn’t fly into Allentown for the game.
- The Jan. 25 game against the Hershey Bears was postponed because of the snowstorm that impacted the entire eastern part of the country.
- Their Feb. 1 game was played without fans because the weather prevented the team from having the infrastructure to host and operate a game with fans in attendance.
So, the Checkers are getting a true welcome to the AHL experience.
