“It started here and now it shall end here”; Checkers captain Zac Dalpe announces his retirement with heartfelt letter

CHARLOTTE (CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — Zac Dalpe, the seventh captain of the Charlotte Checkers and captain of the last four years, has announced his retirement after 15 years in professional hockey.

“One thing is for certain is that I never took a day off. I am by no means trying to sound like a “hero” by saying that. But every single day I tried to become a better hockey player,” Dalpe wrote in a letter posted on the Checkers’ website.

Dalpe was drafted in 2008 and spent three seasons in Charlotte from 2010 to 2013. Since returning to a captain role in 2021, he appeared in 191 games and scored 69 goals.

“He’s a natural leader,” Head Coach Georgie Kinnear said in 2021. “He sticks out, he brings energy every single day to the rink and leads by example.”

In his 15-year pro career, Dalpe also spent time with six NHL franchises: Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers, most recently during the 2022-2023 season.

“Yes, Vegas got the better of us – the Panthers – in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. And yes, Abbotsford did too in an unforgettable run this year chasing the Calder Cup. I learned so much during those runs. They both unequivocally were the most special times in my career. Even though I didn’t get my name on those beautiful trophies, I know that I truly tried. There’s value in that,” Dalpe wrote.

In his first season in Charlotte, Dalpe earned AHL All-Rookie Team honors after scoring 23 goals and 34 assists. His best statistical season came eight years later with the Cleveland Monsters (the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets). In the 2018 season, Dalpe had 33 goals and 22 assists.

The longtime center born in Canada, who traveled far and wide playing hockey, has found a home in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“So, in typing all of that (I apologize for the rambling, scattered writing), this brings me to the end. Charlotte. The Queen City. Tera Black once told me that its nickname is The Sticky City because she’s hard to leave once you’re here – boy, was she right. “Uptown, South End, Extreme Ice Center, The Ballantyne Bowl, Hawkridge Elementary, Optimist Hall, Reedy Park- the list goes on. I never once in a million years thought I’d love a place just as much as my hometown. My wife, alongside with our three boys and dog, felt safe here. We felt comfort. We will always be in love with the beautiful skyline, the luscious landscape greenery of Ballantyne, the dust from the baseball diamond at Olde Providence Road Elementary School, the familiar ice rink smell at Extreme Ice Center, and of course, the character and history at Bojangles Coliseum. Pulling that Checkers sweater over my head and walking through the redline club on the way out to the bright lights will always be stapled in my head. It started here and now it shall end here. I’m proud of what I got to do, but more importantly, I’m so proud of who I got to do it with. I appreciate every single person that was along for the greatest ride of my life. A Canadian kid got to be a hockey player for 15 years. In the beautiful words of Gord Downie – I got to go, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”
Dalpe wrote at the end of his retirement letter