ESPN’s Emily Kaplan is reporting that a group led by Hollywood megastar Ryan Reynolds will not be moving forward with a bid to purchase the Ottawa Senators. Kaplan writes that several sources close to the bidding process have informed ESPN of this development. The Canadian born actor was part of a consortium that was being led by real estate developer the Remington Group.
Reynolds had met with NHL representatives back in late 2022 and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that Reynolds had interest in becoming an NHL owner. Reynolds then confirmed his interest publicly a short time later. The bidding process for the Senators has sparked interest in several celebrities including musicians The Weekend and Snoop Dogg.
The news of Reynold’s group dropping out is sure to disappoint Senators fans as Reynolds is beloved in Canada and even lived in Ottawa for a period during his childhood. His appearance at a Senators game this year created a huge buzz in the city at a time when interest in Ottawa games had started to wane. The NHL will be disappointed as well, Bettman had commented publicly back in December that he was very impressed with Reynolds and thought it would be great for Ottawa and the league if the celebrity could be involved with the club.
While Reynolds bid isn’t moving forward, The Weekend and Snoop Dogg groups are still in the mix and could submit bids prior to the May 15 deadline. It’ll be an interesting few days in Canada’s capital city.
Snoop Dogg??? Fer shizzle, my Stutzle!!
Eh, I still remember with a smile one of Snoop Dog’s music videos in which he wore a Springfield Indians jersey. The guy’s a stone hockey fan.
*Weeknd
Thumb up for proper spelling, but he’s dropping the name anyway.
The NHL does not want multiple minority owners, they want 1 guy/girl calling the shots.
the Columbus Crips