As the Ottawa Senators begin the process of selling the team following the death of owner Eugene Melnyk, a Canadian Hollywood icon is reportedly showing some interest.
Ryan Reynolds is "very interested" in buying the team with the intention of keeping it in the Ottawa region, a source close to the actor told People Magazine.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the team was set to be put up for sale soon and Galatioto Sports Partners has been retained to help with the process. Melnyk's two adult daughters inherited the franchise and the team is in the early planning stages to build a new arena on the Lebreton Flats closer to downtown.
"What comes first, a new arena or the sale of the team? Sources suggest the sale could be done much more quickly, but new ownership will want to make sure everything is lined up to build a new arena on an identified 7.5-acre tract of land in LeBreton Flats, just west of Parliament Hill," Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan reported Wednesday.
Reynolds, from Vancouver, is one of the more successful actors currently working in Hollywood — headlined by his lead role in the Deadpool franchise. In 2020, he and fellow actor Rob McElhenney purchased the Welsh football club Wrexham AFC, which competes in the fifth tier of the English Football system.
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