Those who had started shopping for a Brady Tkachuk jersey in the colors of the Quebec Nordiques will have to put their plans on hold: the Ottawa Senators confirmed on Friday that the team was indeed for sale, provided that she lives in Ottawa.
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Rumors have been swirling for days that the Senators have hired Galatioto Sports Partners to handle the sale of the organization, currently owned by Olivia and Anna Melnyk, heiresses of Eugene Melnyk, who died March 28. last at the age of 62.
In a statement, Senators Governor Sheldon Plener confirmed the team was officially on sale.
“The firm Galatioto Sports Partners has been retained to act as financial advisor, and a process has been initiated for the sale of the Ottawa Senators hockey club. This was a necessary and careful step in order to connect with interested parties, who will be able to show us their vision for the future of the team. The condition of any sale will be that the team remain in Ottawa.
Already, the names of potential buyers have begun to circulate, including that of Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who would like to be part of the team’s shareholders. The interpreter of Deadpool has recently acquired the Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC along with another actor, Robert McElhenney.
Quebec not in the plans
Quebec fans will therefore have to wait again. Anyway, it seems that the idea of relocating the Senators was never in the plans.
Thursday, the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, who was mandated to take care of the Nordiques file by Prime Minister François Legault, mentioned not having been in contact with the Melnyk sisters.
On Friday, NHL assistant commissioner Bill Daly also denied any possibility of the Senators leaving Ottawa.
“The key here is that there is no intention to explore the possibilities of relocation. The team will stay in Ottawa,” he told reporter Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
New arena
The new buyer of the franchise will therefore clearly have the mandate to settle, once and for all, the relocation of the Senators from Kanata, where the Canadian Tire Center is currently located, to downtown Ottawa.
A project to build an arena on LeBreton Flats has been in the air for several years, but it never saw the light of day.
Recently, Sportico media, which specializes in sports finance, estimated the value of the Senators at $655 million. Remember that Melnyk had acquired the concession in 2003 for the sum of $92 million.