Report: Film star Reynolds, Toronto developer to team up in bid for Senators
Published
Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds will team up with the Remington Group, a Toronto-based real estate development corporation, in a bid to purchase the Ottawa Senators, according to a report by Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.
Garrioch reported in the Ottawa Sun on Monday that the partners will make a bid for the club and reportedly plan to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats, a neighbourhood in downtown Ottawa just west of Parliament Hill.
It’s believed the bid for the Senators is being led by Remington Group president Christopher Bratty along with several partners but, according to Garrioch, Reynolds would be the face of the Senators’ franchise, similar to his role with Wrexham, a Welsh football club.
The Remington Group is an established real estate development company that has conducted a majority of its business in Southern Ontario, specifically the community of Markham.
Reportedly, part of Remington's vision for the Senators include a high-profile face leading the team, like Reynolds, and a new home in downtown Ottawa that will replace their current arena, the Canadian Tire Centre, which sits outside the city in the suburb of Kanata.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has stated publicly that he’d like to see Reynolds, who has kept in close touch with the league office, involved with whoever purchases the club from the Melnyk family.
Bettman noted following December’s NHL board of governors meetings in Florida that Reynolds can help raise the league’s profile on the world stage and he has more than 100 million followers on social media.
According to reports, Reynolds plans to bring his Los Angeles-based production company, Maximum Effort, with him to Ottawa to produce a series surrounding the purchase of the team and the development of the new stadium. It would be similar to his series Welcome to Wrexham on Disney Plus.
Getting a lease in place with the National Capital Commission for a new arena at LeBreton Flats will be a priority for the new owners as Bettman has told any potential buyers he’d like to see the team moved downtown. The NCC is confident a new lease will be done once the club is sold.
The team is still expected to be sold for upwards of $800 million, with at least five serious bidders expected to put in offers.
Garrioch reports that Toronto billionaires Jeffrey and Michael Kimel and billionaire Hamilton Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer have also been listed as some of the parties interested in buying the Senators.