by Nick Niedzielski | AHL On The Beat
Zac Dalpe and Trevor Carrick have established themselves as pillars in the Charlotte hockey world, reigning as number one and two in the Checkers franchise record book for games played, respectively.
But even with their extended tenures in the Queen City, the duo’s paths never crossed – until this season.
“First and foremost it’s nice to be on this side of things with him instead of the other side,” said Dalpe.
“It’s nice being on the same side as him,” Carrick echoed.
Though the pair had never skated together before this season, there was certainly a mutual admiration between the two.
“I’ve played against him a long time,” said Dalpe. “Me and Geordie (Kinnear, Checkers head coach) talked, Carrick could play in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and today. Just the way he is as a player, very versatile.”
“I just missed him my first year here in Charlotte,” said Carrick, who joined the Checkers as a rookie in 2014-15. “You hear great things about the guy and right away you can see it.”
Dalpe is in his second stint with the Checkers; he spent his first three pro seasons in Charlotte from 2010 to 2013, and then returned in 2021-22 and has served as
the team captain since.
As the veteran forward embarks on his 15th full pro season, his enthusiasm hasn’t dulled at all.
“You still get excited to play every year, you still get excited to see the process unfold,” Dalpe said. “Especially being the older guy now and you’re dealing with young kids that come in. It’s pretty cool.”
Since first departing Charlotte in 2013, Dalpe has carved out quite a career for himself, logging over 700 pro games between the AHL and NHL. But returning to where it all started – and bringing his family with him – has given this stint an extra benefit.
“Coming back here as an older guy was special,” said Dalpe. “Seeing my kids on the glass, I was one of those kids, and now you come back and you have your own and you see them in their ‘Daddy’ jerseys with your number on it… It’s pretty special.”
Like Dalpe before him, the Queen City continued to call out to Carrick after he departed following the team’s Calder Cup title in 2019.
“I always hoped for it but I never envisioned it,” said Carrick on returning to Charlotte. “We left on such a high note and I kind of thought that was just the way it was going to be. But as you bounce around you always kind of wish that you could come back – you love it so much and you have so many great memories. And then when you get the call, it’s pretty exciting, to say the least.”
A fan favorite from his rookie campaign on, Carrick is excited to get back under the Bojangles Coliseum lights.
“It feels good to be back,” he said. “It’s nice to see some familiar faces.”
As they come together as teammates for the first time, a key attribute links Carrick and Dalpe – an undeterred desire to win. For Dalpe, it’s about looking at the road ahead on what has been a long, winding career and aiming to reach the pinnacle.
“Father Time is getting down to the end here at some point,” said Dalpe. “Obviously I haven’t played this long to not want to win something. So it would be nice to
bring something back to Charlotte.”
For Carrick, it’s about reclaiming the feeling he had capturing the Cup half a decade ago.
“I’ve kind of bounced around the last five years,” said Carrick. “I’ve played on some tough hockey teams. I was playing some meaningless hockey games in February and January. I want to get back to that winning atmosphere. I learned a lot over the last few years. It can be miserable when you’re not in the playoffs and you’re playing meaningless hockey with 20 or 30 games left. I’m looking forward to getting back to a winning culture.”
The bond between two of Charlotte’s most iconic players has been quickly solidified, and the organization will reap the rewards that this collaboration can bring both on the ice and in the room.
“Getting to know [Carrick] personally, he’s a really, really good guy,” said Dalpe. “He’s got lots of stories and a contagious laugh and a personality you gravitate towards.
I’m already excited to be around him and my wife’s probably tired of me talking about him.”
“[Dalpe’s] been around for a while, he gets it,” said Carrick. “He’s a professional and a fun guy to be around. I’m looking forward to wearing the Checkers logo with him this year.”