Charlotte Checkers unveil 2026-27 schedule, season tickets now on sale

Charlotte’s 2026-27 season opens on the road at Hershey on Oct. 3, a date the Checkers said marks the earliest start to a season in franchise history. The American Hockey League and the Checkers both unveiled the schedule on July 9, and Charlotte paired the release with season-ticket sales for Bojangles Coliseum.

The opener doubles as a measuring stick. Hershey will host Charlotte at 6 p.m. at GIANT Center in the Bears’ home opener, putting the Checkers right into one of the AHL’s most established buildings on opening night. For a club that has to manage roster churn, NHL call-up flexibility and goalie workload over a long season, that first trip sets an early tone before the calendar turns to the first home games.

Charlotte had already announced its home opener on May 14, and the club later set opening weekend for Oct. 17 and 18. That gives the Checkers a little runway after the Hershey trip before they settle into Bojangles Coliseum, where the schedule becomes the backbone of ticket sales, game-night promotions and the club’s push to build demand around marquee dates.

Season tickets are on sale now, and the team is leaning hard on the built-in value. The Checkers list guaranteed same seats, average savings of 40% compared with single-game tickets, 10% off concessions including the Red Line Club, five buddy pass vouchers per seat, a monthly payment plan, 15% off merchandise and roughly 50% savings on additional ticket purchases.

The calendar also offers an immediate point of comparison with last season’s slate. In the 2025-26 release, Charlotte opened on the road at Springfield on Oct. 11 before hosting Iowa on Oct. 17 and 18, so the 2026-27 start comes a little earlier and sends the club straight into a road test against a divisional standard-bearer. That matters in an AHL season where early points can buffer later stretches shaped by injuries, recalls and lineup shuffling.

The Checkers’ schedule page now serves as the first practical map of the year ahead: the road opener in Hershey, the Oct. 17-18 home weekend at Bojangles Coliseum, and the ticketing push that ties the hockey calendar directly to the business of filling the building in Charlotte.