Charlotte Checkers acquired by Zawyer Sports, new investors feature NASCAR, NFL figures

Another Charlotte sports team is coming under new ownership.

Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, a Jacksonville, Florida, based company, will acquire a controlling interest in the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers as of Oct. 1, the team announced on Monday during an event at Bojangles Coliseum.

The deal sees current CEO Michael Khan, who has held majority ownership of the Checkers since 2006, remain as the team’s largest minority partner. Khan said that Zawyer first bought a minority stake in February and its commitment to keeping the Checkers’ current staff in place and the team in Charlotte was crucial to getting the deal done.

“They’re allowing our people to stay,” Khan said. “I have some tunnel vision here, (but) we’re one of the top, best AHL franchises in this league. We have a great front office and Andy’s not walking in saying ‘oh, I can do this better than you.’ He knows he can add to the collaboration of taking this up to the next level. … Zawyer will provide resources.”

The AHL approved the transaction last week. Zawyer and the Checkers declined to disclose the terms of the deal.

The Checkers’ new owners are no stranger to minor league hockey and local franchise ownership.

Zawyer acquired Gastonia Baseball Club in February after the previous iteration of the team, the Gastonia Honey Hunters, was booted from the Atlantic League over unpaid fees and was served a lawsuit from the city. This year’s team set a league record for wins through the first half of the Atlantic League season, going 46-17.

Zawyer also owns and operates three ECHL teams in the Savannah Ghost Pirates, the Jacksonville Icemen and the Tahoe Knight Monsters.

Zawyer Sports & Entertainment CEO and owner Andy Kaufmann discussed the potential of acquiring or building a local rink that would serve as a practice facility for the team and a community center. Zawyer has undertaken similar projects with its other ECHL franchises and owns facilities that are built or currently in construction in Jacksonville and Port Wentworth, which is just outside of Savannah.

Kaufmann added that there’s a commitment from both parties to extend the Charlotte Checkers’ lease at Bojangles Coliseum and bring improvements to the stadium.

Both Khan and Kaufmann said that the definition of their roles with the team is still to be determined despite the rest of the front office remaining unchanged, but the former is excited to stay on board and believes Zawyer can help the team continue to grow.

“I will never say never, but I don’t foresee (ever fully walking away),” Khan said. “I love the sport too much, I love the city too much.”

There are a total of 18 stakeholders in the new ownership group, Kaufmann said, with new minority partners including former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, Carolina Panthers long snapper JJ Jansen and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow among others.

“Having local ownership is important,” Kaufmann said. “We want to make sure we have that presence. … This is Charlotte’s team, we have to make sure we’re doing right by Charlotte.”

“To me it was a natural step outside of our box that wasn’t so unnatural because of all the ties to the community and the things that have been a part of the Checkers’ DNA for so long,” Harvick added.

The Checkers will continue their partnership with Florida Panthers and both teams will form a new relationship with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates, also owned by Zawyer. The partnerships between the NHL, AHL and ECHL franchises will create a unique pipeline for the reigning Stanley Cup champions that will run through Charlotte.

“We’re going to run the same systems, have the same strength coach, so our development is going to be streamlined,” said Paul Krepelka, the Florida Panthers’ senior vice president of hockey operations. “It hasn’t been done in the National Hockey League and we’re going to try to do it with the resources and the support, I think it’s going to be unique and successful at all three levels.”

“It’s great for players, to be able to be drafted at 17, 18 years old, you’re in an organization and then all of the sudden you’re learning the same systems, you’re working with the same coaches as you progress through the organization,” Jansen added. “Not only is it great for a player, which I always kind of have an eye on, but I do think it’s really smart for the organization.”

Monday marks another sale in a recent wave of ownership transition among Charlotte’s sports teams, including the Charlotte Knights, Charlotte Hornets and Gastonia Baseball Club in just the past year. The Checkers will open their first season under new owners since 2006 on October 12 and host their home opener on October 18.

“If Andy hadn’t come along I wouldn’t be standing here today,” Khan said. “It was the uniqueness and his genuine sincerity that kind of won me over and go ‘you know what, this is the right thing to do.’”