Word has now spread across the NHL (and indeed throughout Canada) that Ryan Reynolds has expressed interest in becoming a shareholder in the Ottawa Senators. He was reportedly preparing a $1 billion bid with the Remington Group just two weeks ago.
But yesterday it was announced that his offer to take over the club would not go through. With Reynolds, who already co-owns Wrexham FC, departs, a slew of big names are stepping into the Ottawa Senators ring, including another Canadian and a rap legend.
Related: NHL Games Today: The Stanley Cup Playoffs Continue With The Stars Trying To Eliminate Kraken
The Weeknd is reportedly affiliated with the Ottawa Senators
Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun/USA TODAY NETWORK
According to The Ottawa Sun, The Weeknd, who hails from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, threw his hat in the ring to buy the Sens last week. He is reportedly in the running alongside Toronto Jeffrey and Michael Kimel. Of course, The Weeknd’s hometown is a lot closer to Ottawa than Reynolds’ hometown of Vancouver, BC (although he lived in the Ottawa suburbs as a child), and the singer is an avid hockey fan.
And he even has ties to the city. “He’s going to be a great partner for Ottawa and the NHL,” a source close to The Weeknd said, according to The Sun. “The team he works with grew up in Ottawa so they know the market very well, but he’s the biggest musician[on]the planet right now. He has the most views, the most streams and he’s a hockey guy.”
“He doesn’t like being in the media very often, so that really says something about him wanting to be part of a tender,” the source continued. “He wants to close that deal, he wants to build something that’s going to be great in Ottawa and that he’s going to be a good fit with. He has many global connections.”
The Weeknd’s bid is also reportedly in the $1 billion range.
Related: Stanley Cup Playoffs 2023: Top 5 Goaltenders Ranking
Snoop Dogg has also entered the Senators’ race
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Snoop Dogg became the second celebrity to apply for the team after Reynolds after owner Eugene Melnyk died at the age of 62. He has expressed his interest in buying the club very clearly and has demonstrated his love for hockey many times by wearing the Los Angeles Kings jerseys for concerts and public appearances. He often goes to Kings games and has even joined the broadcast team on occasion.
And in typical Snoop fashion, he shared his intentions for the Ottawa Senators on Instagram:
“I’ve been watching hockey for about 25 years now and I’ve watched more and more kids who look like me play the game, but I don’t see it being offered to kids here in America,” he told ESPN’s first take. “An opportunity arose for me to become a part of the ownership of the Ottawa Senators, so I jumped at it.”
His plans also include trying to start the Snoop Youth Hockey League outside of Canada, which would follow the same model as his Snoop Youth Football League and would provide low-income, high-risk youth with an opportunity to play hockey.
So far, his football league has sent 20,000 children to Division I schools. “The kids need to know that if you look like me, there’s a way to play hockey,” he said. “If we brought another sport, like ice hockey, that’s on TV and they can watch it, these kids can now learn how to play that sport. You can understand that this is another way out.”
The offer would also include a new arena for the Senators, who are currently playing well outside of Ottawa’s city limits.
The deadline for bids to buy the Ottawa Senators is reportedly May 15.
Related: NHL Mock Draft 2023: Latest Post-NHL Draft Lottery Predictions
Comments are closed.