“Headin’ down south to the land of the pines, I’m thumbing my way into North Caroline, staring up he road, and praying to God I see headlights.” – Old Crow Medicine Show, Wagon Wheel
Arena: Bojangles’ Coliseum (1955)
Location: East Charlotte, North Carolina
Game Attended: October 12, 2019 vs Bridgeport
Game Result: 4-2 Bridgeport Win and a Calder Cup banner ceremony!
Seat Location: Balcony Level Center Ice
Overall Impression: Decent Building, Good Family-Friendly Atmosphere
The Tour de NHL is back for another exciting season! I’m thrilled to get back on the road to visit some great cities for some hockey, including Washington, Los Angeles, and Denver, just to name a few. But for my first “unofficial stop” on the Tour for the 2019-2020 season, I decided to start local.
Although I grew up in Philadelphia and lived there most of my life, I now call Charlotte, North Carolina home. And while I miss having an NHL team in the Queen City, there are plenty of thing to love about my new home city. And there’s one team in town that reigns supreme in the hockey world: the Charlotte Checkers.
Oh, excuse me. The Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers!
So to kick off the new hockey season, I scrambled out of work on a Friday afternoon and made the short drive across town to the Bojangles’ Coliseum to see the Checkers’ home opener against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. An AHL version of the Hurricanes hosting the Islanders.
The Coliseum clearly isn’t an NHL arena: it seats just 8,600 fans, has only one level of seats, and lacks most of the flashy bells and whistles that modern arenas like Detroit and Edmonton have. Opened in 1955, Bojangles’ is older than every current NHL arena, 13 years older than the would-be runner up, Madison Square Garden.
But like most minor league sports teams, the Checkers try to mix in a great deal of entertainment and family-friendly atmosphere to the gameday experience. And even though Charlotte isn’t a big hockey market, I have to give the Checkers and their fans a lot of credit: they make the games really fun! It’s nice to be so close to the action (without breaking the bank; $15 will buy you a premium beer and some Bojangles’ chicken) and have a good time doing so. (Side note: it’s also really nice to leave the game and not freeze your butt off walking home in Canada in the middle of March!)
I do wish the Coliseum was in a more accessible neighborhood of Charlotte. For example, the Spectrum Center (where the NBA’s Hornets play) is in the heart of Uptown Charlotte with tons of food and drink options and the light rail at the front door. But the Coliseum is on the edge of town, and you have to drive or Uber to the games. There’s nowhere nearby to eat or drink before/after the game, though Uptown really isn’t that far, and Plaza Midwood nearby has a ton of great spots. Whiskey Warehouse is a favorite of my friend and Checkers expert (and group sales aficionado) Jeremy.
So the Checkers are now officially my new “home team”, and that’s great! After all, part of the Tour is realizing that no matter where a game is played or how nice a building is or how affordable the Bojangles’ chicken is, it’s still a chance to enjoy the sport I love with great friends. So congratulations once again to the Checkers on your 2019 Calder Cup championship, and I’m excited to see more games at the Coliseum!
Atmosphere: 3 / 5
Neighborhood: 2 / 5
Tour de National Hockey League 
