Former NFL linebacker Myles Jack and his mother, LaSonjia Jack, are now one of a few Black majority owners in the history of a professional hockey team. The Jacks now owns the Texas-based Allen Americans, an East Coast Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
An Arizona native, Myles and his mom are looking to steer the franchise in a new direction for the 15th ECHL season.
“From the football field to the business world, I have always brought passion and leadership to my teams,” Jack said per The Grio.
“The opportunity to lead this franchise and serve our great fans is an incredible responsibility. I’m excited to bring a first-class, family-friendly entertainment option to this community alongside our great partners.”
The Allen Americans open the season Oct. 20 on the road against the Idaho Steelheads. The Americans will make their home debut this season on Friday, Oct. 27, against Atlanta at the CUTX Event Center in Allen, Texas.
Black Contributions To Hockey
The contributions of Black people in the hockey game stretch back to the 1800s with organizations like The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, founded in Halifax in 1895 as an all-Black men’s hockey league. Per the NHL Players’ Association, the league rostered hundreds of players and “iced more than 12 teams during its peak.”
The league’s players are credited as some of the first to use the slapshot and having goalies who dropped to their knees to make saves. The Jacks now join the history of Black majority hockey team owners like Herb Washington, who founded the Youngstown SteelHounds minor league hockey franchise in the Central Hockey League (CHL) in 2005.
“The Allen Americans are excited to welcome Myles Jack as our new owner and an African American majority owner of a professional hockey team,” the franchise stated in a press release.
From The NFL To The Ice: Myles Jack Was An Excellent Football Player
Back in August, Jack’s NFL tenure ended after seven seasons in the NFL.
Jack retired with 617 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown across 103 regular-season games played per the NFL. Jack spent most of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team that selected him as the No. 36 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
Starting all 16 regular-season contests in his second year, Jack registered 90 tackles, two sacks, and scored the only touchdown of his career. During Jacksonville’s playoff run, he had a postseason interception, three passes defensed, a sack, and a fumble recovery of a fumble he forced.
During three of his five seasons with Jacksonville, he compiled 100-plus tackles but was released from the club after the 2021 season, after which he signed with Pittsburgh, where he again eclipsed 100 tackles last year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up Jack during the 2022 season, then released him, and he agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles in August 2023. However, he decided to leave football for a couple of weeks, and after 53 preseason snaps Jack decided to retire from the sport.
In addition to continuing support for the hockey team’s Red Lamp Foundation, Myles and LaSonjia aim to expand the Myles Jack Foundation into the Allen community. Myles Jack and his mother are blazing a new trail for Black ownership in hockey.
