Actor Ryan Reynolds’ group entered this week trailing in the bidding for the Ottawa Senators, but it’s upping the ante.
The Remington Group was expected to sweeten its offer ahead of the May 15 deadline, but now it appears Reynolds and real estate mogul Christopher Bratty aren’t waiting and preparing a $1 billion bid, the Ottawa Sun reported on Friday.
Front Office Sports reported Monday that bidding could reach or even surpass $1 billion — a mark no NHL franchise sale has reached.
There were 16 bidders for the Senators, although the list of finalists were cut to seven in recent weeks, including a group led by Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé. Sources told FOS that Remington Group is among three groups that have both the bankroll and interest in submitting a bid with nine zeros in it.
Galatioto Sports Partners is handling the sale on behalf of the Melnyk family. Patriarch Eugene Melnyk, who purchased the Sens for $92 million in 2003, died in March 2022.
Along with purchasing the team, the next owner of the Sens is expected to make a new arena for the franchise a priority.
Canadian Tire Centre — which sits in Kanata, located about 15 miles from downtown Ottawa — has hosted the Senators since 1996. There are at least four sites in downtown Ottawa that could accommodate a new arena.
FOS previously reported that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told the bidders not to expect public financing for a new arena.
