Ex-NFL star Marshawn Lynch joins ownership group for NHL's Kraken
Marshawn Lynch still has plenty of love for Seattle and its sports scene. So perhaps it's no big surprise the five-time Pro Bowler is now connected to the city's new hockey franchise.
The Seattle Kraken announced Monday that Lynch and Seattle-based rapper Macklemore are now minority investors in the team, which is wrapping up its inaugural NHL season.
"This is something I never would have imagined," Lynch, who was part of the Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning team in 2014, said in a statement to CNBC. "I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special. As I look back on some of my accomplishments — I retired before I was 30 and now being an owner of a professional club at the age of 35 – I’m gonna continue to count my blessings."
Lynch was connected to the Kraken prior to the 2021-22 season, serving as an announcer during the televised expansion draft last summer.
According to the Kraken, Lynch will be responsible for working on Hockey Is For Everyone initiatives with the team that will focus on youth and community outreach.
"Joining up with the squad to have some meaningful impact was a no-brainer," said Lynch, whose community outreach work in his native Oakland, California earned him a Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination.
"I have so much love and appreciation for Seattle, like for real," he said. "The thing is, I know Seattle looks out for and supports me too. It's only right I continue to plant seeds and give back to the city. The Kraken have been committed to connecting with diverse communities in Seattle since Day One."
More must-reads: