RALEIGH, NC – Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has assigned forwards Patrick Brown and Brody Sutter to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). It was also announced that forward Jeff Skinner has been removed from injured reserve. The Checkers will play their home opener tonight at Time Warner Cable Arena as they host the Grand Rapids Griffins in the first of two games between the teams this weekend.