As news surfaces that Ryan Reynolds is out and no longer in the running to be part of a group bidding on the purchase of the Ottawa Senators, new information is coming to light that perhaps his exit from the sale proceedings has not gone over well with either side.
Reports revealed that Reynolds wanted an exclusive 30-day window to finalize negotiations for funding on the real estate that would go along with a new arena. The NHL didn’t want to make other potential buyers wait while the actor and his consortium figured out the money with no guarantees, so The Remington Group (which Reynolds was a part of) dropped out.
NHL insider and 32 Thoughts Podcast host Elliotte Friedman noted that this potentially hasn’t gone over well. He explained:
“I think there are some real hard feelings over the whole Reynolds thing, I think that there are some hard feelings from Reynolds towards the league but I also believe there are some hard feelings the other way back because I think there were some people around the league that didn’t want Reynolds to pick a side, they wanted to say to him, look, wait, then we will put you with someone when it’s all over”.
Essentially, Friedman is suggesting that Reynolds isn’t happy because he’s out now and the NHL should have recognized the value that would have come with him being part of the ownership team. Meanwhile, the NHL is peeved because they wanted Reynolds and are frustrated that he attached himself to only one group and their decisions and that they would have loved for him to be a part of whatever group was eventually approved to buy the team.
Why Would the NHL Assume Reynolds Open to Partnering With Anyone?
What’s so fascinating and presumptuous about this is that it appears the NHL just assumed Reynolds would and should be comfortable partnering with anyone. They seem to think he should just be happy to be lumped in with the ownership group that wins the bid as if it doesn’t matter who he gets into business with. To assume that he wouldn’t care who his partners are is ludicrous.
What makes Reynolds successful isn’t just the fact he’s smart with his investments, but it’s the partnerships he chooses to make that likely play a big role in his decision-making. That the NHL would have the gall to say, ‘Just be happy you’re involved’ shines a light on just how out of touch they are in terms of people’s right to choose how they spend their own money.
It sounds like the NHL and Gary Bettman are just upset they lost the “cool guy” with a huge social media reach from their crew and now they’re bitter about it.
Next: Kyle Dubas: Says He’s Maple Leafs GM Next Year or No GM At All
Roy Peters
May 15, 2023 at 7:18 pm
The NHL is a bush league with no culpability for player’s who swing sticks and no financial ideas look at the Arizona team why have a team that can’t make money, then they force palyer’s and other teams to support there opposition what a joke.