After a record-breaking season with Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds may be ready for a new venture in the world of sports. The Deadpool star is reportedly teaming up with the Remington Group to prepare a $1bn bid for the Ottawa Senators, a Canadian NHL team.
Reynolds and his business partner Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham AFC in 2021 after receiving a 100% trust vote from the Wrexham Supporters Trust. Before the acquisition, the club played in the fifth tier of the English football league system.
Wrexham secured promotion to the EFL league two after winning the National League 2022/23. Videos from the Hollywood star celebrating with the team in the dugout emerged on social media after their season’s final game.
After their success with the football club and a lot of attention from fans around the globe, Reynolds may be in talks with the Canadian NHL team’s owners, that officially put the club for sale in November 2022 after the death of their father and previous owner of the club, Eugene Melnyk.
Eugene purchased the club when it was on the verge of bankruptcy, in 2003, for $92 Million. After battling an illness, Eugene passed away on March 28, 2022. The rights to the club were transferred to his two daughters, Anna Melnyk (23) and Olivia Melnyk (20).
Initial reports stated that seven ownership groups were in the running. One of those groups was led by Neko Sparks and had Snoop Dogg as one of the partners.
Snoop also posted a picture of the Ottawa Senators and Neko on his Instagram story, captioned –
“Amazing what @neko_sparks is trying to do in Ottawa & I’m looking forward to being a part of that ownership team. I WANNA BRING HOCKEY TO OUR COMMUNITY.”
If Snoop’s group wins the ownership of the club, they will be the first people of color to own a hockey team in the NHL.
Although there has been no confirmation of sorts from the Remington Group, Reynolds and Bratty met with representatives from the National Capital Commission. The duo also met Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. It is believed that they also met with local investors during their visit to the city.
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Although all individuals involved are still unknown, reports suggest the total bid will be worth $1bn. The offer will include a new stadium for the team and new facilities. According to the Ottawa Sun, the current stadium will be renovated and won’t be left ‘high and dry.’
The first bidding round was completed after the club’s finances were opened to 15 potential buyers. According to reports from the Ottawa Sun, the league received at least three bids, while The Athletic claims this number is around half a dozen. It is yet to be decided whether a second round is necessary.
Although the last date to submit a bid was set to March 15, the first round of bidding was completed on Monday. Experts believe that an acquisition by either Snoop Dogg or Ryan Reynold’s groups would bring more eyes to the team and, subsequently, more revenue.
