The NHL, led by Gary Bettman, has been closely watching the process of the sale of the Ottawa Senators since it was announced the franchise could be bought for somewhere in the neighborhood of $650 million. A number of potential owners have signed non-disclosure agreements and begun the process of talking about a possible purchase. The NHL, however, would like to ensure one thing to any ownership group looking at buying in.
The NHL wants to ensure Hollywood star and Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds is involved. Valued a net worth of $150 million, Reynolds isn’t in a position to buy the team on his own, but he’s certainly interested. The NHL wants him in too, specifically because he can bring eyeballs to the sale, the team under new ownership, and the NHL as a whole. He’s got an interest in producing a new sports show, much like his current show “Welcome to Wrexham” where he documents taking ownership of the team and trying to bring them to prominence. The NHL likes the idea and has made no bones about letting potential owners know they want him included in the deal.
According to a report by Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, the NHL Commissioner and his deputy Bill Daly are making interested parties aware the league wants the actor to be a minority partner. All groups have been told before entering the process to contact Reynolds, Garrioch adds. They see the power in the marketing he can do for the league via his production company Maximum Effort, and NHL marketing executives believe they can’t buy the kind of publicity he can generate.
Reynolds Is In
Reynolds has reportedly spent the last three weeks talking to prospective bidders to gauge their interest in his involvement. He wants to be hands-on with the ownership, even if he only owns a small piece of the team.
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