Charlotte Checkers – Hockey Gameday

If you haven’t been to a Charlotte Checkers hockey game, you are missing out!

Everyone loves a good Carolina Panthers or Charlotte Knights game, but there is another team in Charlotte that often goes unnoticed. The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional hockey team, and their games are great fun for all ages. Who doesn’t love a good hockey fight?

The Checkers play at Bojangles Coliseum, only 10 minutes from Uptown Charlotte and about 5 minutes from Plaza Midwood. Parking used to cost $5-10 per game, but it’s now FREE. Nothing is better than an event with free parking. If you’re coming from south Charlotte, I recommend entering the Bojangles Coliseum parking lot from Monroe Rd to Chipley Ave, which is the back entrance to the parking area. This will allow you quicker entrance to the parking without having to wait in any lines from Independence Blvd (74).

For each game, you can expect a theme, giveaway, or deal. Some examples include:

• $1 Beer Nights – usually on Wednesdays
• Family Nights – family four packs of tickets are offered at a discount
• Military Appreciation Night
• 90s Night
• Pup Night – bring your dog!
• Country Night
• Nascar Night
• There are some games where you get a hat, sweatshirt, tshirt, etc. with your purchase of a ticket. It comes out to a good deal.

Look out for the annual holiday packs for Charlotte Checkers tickets in December. The holiday packs are two tickets to a set of four weekend (Friday to Sunday) games throughout the season. If you buy the tickets before the first deadline, you get a bonus fifth game for free! Most games range from $20-30. With the annual holiday packs, the tickets come out to be about $12-15 per game. It’s a great deal. 

When buying your tickets, it’s important to consider the section you are sitting in. If you sit too far towards the goals or at the end sections, it’s often hard to see the puck or action at the other end of the ice. I recommend sections 107-110 or 121-124. Sitting in sections 107-110 will allow you a view of the team benches during the game and the Checker’s team entrance to the ice. Sitting in sections 121-124 will allow you a view of the penalty boxes and the backs of the team benches. View the seating chart here.

Note that some of the theme nights will only show you the section you are purchasing and not the seats until after your purchase. TIP: You can call the Checkers Ticket Office to see if there are other options if you don’t love the seats you are automatically given after purchasing. They are happy to move you in most cases.

Since it’s Bojangles Coliseum, you can obviously expect to have Bojangles chicken and fries as a food option at Charlotte Checkers games. You can also expect pizza, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and other typical concession stand food. There are specialty stands that also offer barbeque, tacos, and many specialty beers and wines. View current food at the Coliseum.

While attending a game, you may also have the pleasure to see a good hockey fight or overtime. There seems to be at least one good fight during every game that gets the crowd pumped up. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, the game will go into overtime. Overtime consists of a five minute period with 3 on 3 – first team to score wins. If no one scores in overtime, the game goes to penalty shots. I have been to many Charlotte Checkers games and have seen either overtime in a large percentage of them.

Charlotte Checkers Hockey Games are a great activity for families, friends, etc. in Charlotte. The games are about 2-2.5 hours long and are close to Uptown with free parking. Make sure to pack your cowbell! Everyone will have a great time. Let us know if you go to a game.