Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds’ push to add the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise – the Ottawa Senators – to his growing sports portfolio has halted after his consortium withdrew their proposed bid.
It has been widely reported that Reynolds, alongside Remington Group, will table a $1bn bid to gain ownership of the Canadian NHL team which would become the latest sports team under his ownership, with him being a part-owner of Welsh football side Wrexham AFC.
Since being put up for sale in November 2022 following the death of long-time owner Eugene Melnyk, Reynolds has been vocal in his pursuit to acquire the Ottawa Senators, but noted that he would need partners with “really deep pockets” in order to mount a successful bid.
Under the terms of Reynolds and Remington Group’s proposed $1bn bid, ESPN reported that they asked for a 30-day negotiation window which would result in plans being discussed over building a new ice rink in downtown Ottawa.
Galatioto Sports Partners, tasked with handling the NHL teams sale, believed that this 30-day request was ‘unreasonable’ and was ultimately denied, resulting in Reynolds and Remington Group pulling out of any potential deal.
However, multiple reports have indicated that Reynolds still remains interested in pursuing an ownership bid for the Senators despite pulling out alongside Remington Group.
The Canadian national has reportedly met with other bidders in a bid to align himself with them for any potential deal, even proposing to produce a docuseries surrounding the Senators in the same vein of the ‘Welcome To Wrexham’ show, which chronicled how Reynolds and Co-Owner Rob McElhenney took over the reigns at the football club.
The deadline for bids for the Senators ends today (May 15) and includes a who’s who of Hollywood A-listers looking to gain ownership of the NHL franchise.
Amongst those interested, hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson have aligned themselves with sports collectibles firm Neko Sports for an ownership bid, with the likes of global music artist The Weeknd joining Toronto-based real-estate company Kimel Family’s push for the Senators.
