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Charlotte Checkers announce new ownership

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Checkers are under new ownership.

In an announcement Monday morning, the AHL team said Zawyer Sports & Entertainment has acquired a controlling interest in the team.

The Checkers’ current CEO, Michael Kahn, will remain the team’s largest minority partner. Kahn has held majority ownership since 2006.

Day-to-day business operations and front office staff will not change with the new ownership, the team said. Prominent partners in Zawyer’s group include 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.

Zawyer Sports & Entertainment is not new to the area. It is also the ownership group behind Gastonia’s new baseball team.

Zawyer Sports & Entertainment already owns and operates three ECHL franchises.

The Checkers are not changing their NHL affiliation with the Florida Panthers or their status as the primary tenant at Bojangles Coliseum, they said in a news release.

(WATCH BELOW: Checkers game sold out for ninth consecutive season since returning to Bojangles in 2015)