Dalpe has been with the Panthers organization since signing with Florida during the summer of 2021

A valuable member of the Florida Panthers organization made some history last night.

Veteran forward Zac Dalpe, who wears the captain’s C for the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers, became the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer after netting his 124th as a member of the team.

The 34-year-old has enjoyed two stints with Charlotte during his career, once while a member of a Carolina Hurricanes from 2010 to 2013, and then again since 2021 after signing his first two-way deal with the Florida Panthers.

In-between, Dalpe spent several years in the Columbus Blue Jackets system, and it was there he built a relationship with Panthers General Manager Bill Zito, who back then worked in Columbus’ front office and for a time, as GM of their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

After logging 62 goals in 171 games during his first tour with Charlotte, Dalpe picked up right where he left off a decade before, racking up another 62 goals in 156 contests over the past three seasons.

“It’s big,” Checkers Head Coach Geordie Kinnear said after Dalpe set the mark on Saturday against Provence. “It means you’ve been in the league a long time and scored a lot of goals.”

Since signing with Florida, Dalpe has had an impact on both the Checkers and Panthers.

He’s played 15 regular season games and another 13 in the postseason at the NHL level with Florida.

That includes one of the biggest moments of his career, when he scored a third period, game-tying goal with the Panthers facing elimination in Game 5 of the opening round against Boston last season.

Florida went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Dalpe signed a two-year extension with Florida in March of last year that will keep him with the franchise through the 2024-25 season. 

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