Building An Empire

It's becoming more frequent where NHL owners are buying the AHL franchises in order to have more control over the organizational aspects of professional hockey. There are a handful of AHL teams who are independent who work very well with their NHL affiliates - Hershey and Milwaukee come to mind immediately - but having two teams with separate owners who may have their own thoughts on how to be successful could put those owners at odds with one another. Calling the shots for both clubs has its advantages, but what if an ownership group decided to build the other way? What about an ownership group who has multiple ECHL franchises under their portfolio and are now taking the leap into the AHL? Can it work?

One ownership group is going to give it a shot as Zawyer Sports and Entertainment entered the AHL conversation today with their purchase to own the controlling interest in the Charlotte Checkers franchise! As it stands, current Checkers CEO Michael Kahn will remain as the largest minority partner as he remains as part of the ownership, a title he's held since 2006 as the majority partner.

"The time is right to bring in a managing partner that will continue to grow and expand the Charlotte Checkers footprint and the Checkers' commitment to the City of Charlotte," Kahn said in the press release about the ownership change today. "Andy Kaufmann and his team at Zawyer Sports & Entertainment are that partner. While I will remain involved and the entire front office staff will remain intact, the additional resources that Andy and Zawyer will bring to the organization as we continue to grow hockey in both Charlotte and the surrounding region are both numerous and exciting."

As mentioned above, the addition of the Checkers to the Zawyer portfolio will now push the number of franchises it owns and operates to five as they own all of the ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen, Tahoe Knight Monsters and the Savannah Ghost Pirates as well as the Gastonia Baseball Club operating in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Zawyer group also runs the operations of both the ECHL's Allen Americans and Atlanta Gladiators, they run the operations of Community First Igloo - an indoor arena in Jacksonville, and they own 32 Degrees Marketing firm among their many ventures.

If you're doing the math at home, they own teams, operate teams and arenas, and have a marketing firm that can help promote each of those entities. Zawyer Sports and Entertainment seems to have an empire of minor professional sports teams under their watch!

"We are excited to welcome the Charlotte Checkers to the Zawyer Sports family," Zawyer Sports and Entertainment CEO Andy Kaufmann said in the release today. "The Checkers are a team rich with history and an incredible fan base and we are honored to do our part in making Checkers Nation proud - not just on game days, but all year long in this very special community. We have already made an impact here in the community with Gastonia Baseball, and we are eager to grow our footprint in the region by providing local families with quality entertainment, community outreach and competitive hockey."

You may be wondering who some of the key players are in Kaufman's organization, and the list is pretty impressive. Among their investors, they boast NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, Heisman Trophy-winner Tim Tebow, NFL linebacker Myles Jack, Carolina Panthers long-snapper J.J. Jansen, and Fox NASCAR analyst Regan Smith among the celebrities who have put their monies into Zawyer, and it seems the partnerships with companies such as Community First Credit Union have benefitted both sides.

They'll look to continue that trend of success with the purchase of the Checkers, and their affiliation with the 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers should prove beneficial for both sides once more as the Zawyer group looks to take the Checkers to new heights.

"The Florida Panthers partnership with the Charlotte Checkers is pivotal in the development and compete level of our Panthers Pipeline and roster," Florida Panthers Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Paul Krepelka said. "We are grateful to Michael Kahn for his time at the helm of our affiliate and can't wait to welcome Zawyer Sports to Charlotte. Andy Kaufmann and his team have a proven track record that will continue to elevate this great franchise and provide opportunities for our athletes and staff."

While there haven't been a pile of championship parades for Zawyer Sports and Entertainment yet, they're looking to build on an Iceman season that saw them fall in seven games in the opening round to the eventual Kelly Cup champions in the Florida Everblades. The Checkers fell in the opening round in three games to the Hartford Wolfpack so there's some work to do in Charlotte when it comes to building a champion, but Zawyer will start its quest for the franchise's second Calder Cup in September.

Zawyer Sports and Entertainment is building an empire in the southeast US when it comes to minor-pro hockey. The Checkers may prove to be their biggest test yet, but it seems like Zawyer has the right people for the work needed to foster and keep hockey fans in that part of the continent. Growing the game in the southern markets they call home might be their biggest success out of all their achievements, and that's a pretty cool legacy to have within the game.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!