As the process of selling the Ottawa Senators nears completion, an unexpected name has reportedly entered the bidding war for the team.
Ian Mendes of The Athletic reported Monday morning that iconic artist Snoop Dogg has aligned with a Los Angeles-based bid to purchase the team, competing with another celebrity-backed bid from Ryan Reynolds.
The process of selling the Senators began after longtime owner Eugene Melnyk passed away in March of last year. Reynolds has been connected to the team’s sale all throughout the process, but Snoop Dogg’s name is a late and unexpected addition to ownership rumors.
Joining a group led by American entrepreneur Neko Sparks, Mendes reports Snoop’s potential involvement with the team focuses on “using his celebrity power and status to amplify and grow the Ottawa Senators brand,” potentially drawing multiple other celebrities into the fray. Mendes also reports the 51-year-old is “intrigued by the possibility of growing and marketing hockey to families from diverse backgrounds in the Ottawa area — and beyond — who haven’t necessarily been targeted by the sport in the past.”
It would certainly be a new and unique look for NHL ownership, one that some would argue is desperately needed. Mendes said that the group led by Sparks isn’t intimidated by rumors of a potential sale price of $1 billion and could become a serious player in sale negotiations.
Also of note to Senators fans, Mendes reports that longtime NHL Swedish defenseman Mattias Norström is consulting with the Sparks group on the transaction, paving the way for former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson to take a significant role in the team’s hockey operations department.
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