Canadian recording artist The Weeknd is the latest celebrity to join the long list of bidders for the Ottawa Senators, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.
Garrioch further reported that Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, joined Jeffrey and Michael Kimel of the Harlo Capital Group's bid.
In November, Sportsnet reported that the singing star, whose managers have Ottawa roots, would be interested in an ownership stake.
The Weeknd joins fellow superstars Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg as bidders.
In an interview on the Bob McCown podcast Friday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stressed that while celebrity-backed bids "can be a plus" for Ottawa but that they will "have to stand on their own merit."
"If people want to express an interest, saying they want to be involved, I’m good with that,” Bettman said. “The nuts and bolts of what’s going on, who’s bidding what, I don’t think that helps the process. A lot of it, I believe, is part of the negotiation where one group is trying to get a leg up or discourage others from bidding. Who knows?
“You know me, until something is done, the less publicity, the better. There’s a lot being speculated that isn’t accurate.”
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