The Remington Group, led by Ryan Reynolds and real estate tycoon Christopher Bratty, is preparing a billion-dollar bid in hopes of purchasing the Ottawa Senators, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The Markham-based group has apparently ramped up their attempts to secure the team as well as the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators' current arena in suburban Ottawa. This past Sunday Postmedia reported that the organization hired by the Melnyk family to sell the team had set a May 15 deadline for the final bids.
Sources have said that Reynolds and Bratty would like to close this deal sooner than later, and their actions would certainly echo that. They have already met with the National Capital Commission to discuss the development of a downtown arena and entertainment district, and even met with Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe. The mayor had concerns about the re-development of the 75 acres of land that houses the Senators' current home arena, but it is believed that The Remington Group would be prepared to find new purposes for the land in Kanata.
The NHL has been upfront about the fact that it would like to see Reynolds involved with whatever ownership group should emerge. But one would have to think that if the latest reports are true, the Remington Group must be the favorite to land the club. Reynolds is Canadian and would bring international attention to a club that has had issues attracting attention within the city it plays in. The "Deadpool" actor also has a bit of a track record with sports ownership, having purchased Wrexham FC in February 2021, and leading the club to plenty of early success.
While Reynolds and company are the front-runners, there is plenty of interest from other groups with deep pockets and experience in sports franchise ownership. One of the most notable would-be Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, the owner of the NBA club surprised a lot of people two weeks ago when he made an unexpected visit to Canada’s capital city.
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