A press release from the team on Friday said it “has begun a process to sell the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club.” “This was a necessary and prudent step to connect with those deeply interested parties who can show us what their vision is for the future of the team,” team president Sheldon Plener said in the statement. “A condition of any sale will be that the team remains in Ottawa.” The NHL team had no comment earlier this week when Los Angeles-based Sportico reported that the team had hired a sports banking firm that helps sell teams. Canadian superstar Ryan Reynolds appears to have expressed interest in buying the team. The sale follows the death of owner Eugene Melnyk, who left the team to his two daughters, Anna and Olivia. The team has a tentative agreement to work on a new downtown arena in LeBreton Flats, with the next update expected in January. That arena process is considered a key part of the sale, with his current home in west suburban Kanata nearing 30 years of use.
title: “Officially For Sale Ottawa Senators " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-16” author: “Janet Effron”
A press release from the team on Friday said it “has begun a process to sell the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club.” “This was a necessary and prudent step to connect with those deeply interested parties who can show us what their vision is for the future of the team,” team president Sheldon Plener said in the statement. “A condition of any sale will be that the team remains in Ottawa.” The NHL team had no comment earlier this week when Los Angeles-based Sportico reported that the Senators had hired a sports banking firm that helps with team sales. Canadian superstar Ryan Reynolds appears to have expressed interest in buying the team. The impending sale follows the death of owner Eugene Melnyk, who left the team to his two daughters, Anna and Olivia.
New deal in the works
The team has a tentative agreement to work again on a new downtown arena at LeBreton Flats, with the next update expected in January. A previous deal collapsed in 2019. That arena process is considered a key part of the sale, with the team’s current home in west suburban Kanata nearing 30 years of use. The ice at the Canadian Tire Center during Senators training camp on Sept. 22, 2022. The arena opened in January 1996. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press) Arena projects often see proponents ask the city to step in, and with LeBreton Flats falling on Crown land, the federal government and the city of Ottawa may both be called upon to help pay for the new home of the Senators. Ottawa mayor-elect Mark Sutcliffe said in an email Wednesday that he does not support taxpayer money to build a new arena “regardless of its location.” When the cost of a new arena is added in, an incoming owner easily sees a total investment north of $1 billion, original team owner Bruce Firestone said this week. Ottawa has lost four straight games and six of its first 10 this season, dropping the team to the bottom of the Atlantic division. The Senators haven’t made the playoffs since 2017. (CBC)
