Hockey fans can cross one A-list celebrity off the list of potential buyers for the Ottawa Senators as Ryan Reynolds’ bid is no longer moving forward.
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Reynolds and the Remington Group have reportedly pulled out of the highly-anticipated bidding war, which includes fellow celebrities Snoop Dogg and The Weeknd.
Kaplan also reported that the Canadian actor requested an exclusive 30-day window with Galatioto Sports Partners to complete the deal to purchase the Senators and the Canadian Tire Centre arena, only to be denied. As a result, Reynolds and the group decided to move on from the process.
The Remington Group’s bid on the team was expected to surpass $1 billion, sources told Kaplan.
Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch later confirmed Kaplan’s report, reporting Reynolds and his group desired exclusivity to negotiate with the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa on a deal to build a new downtown arena.
But GSP and the team’s board of directors weren’t willing to grant that request and wanted them to wait until after May 15 — the deadline to submit final non binding offers — before discussions moved any further.
Sheldon Plener, the Senators’ governor and one of three board members representing the organization, reportedly also felt the demand was “unreasonable.”
Chris Bratty, who led the Remington Group, and Reynolds were pitching to redevelop the Canadian Tire Centre’s 75-acre site in Kanata, Ottawa, ensuring it wouldn’t be abandoned after the franchise moved to a new building. But it’s unknown as to what those plans entailed.
Reynolds, a co-owner of Wrexham AFC soccer club, was reportedly planning to film a two-year documentary series — similar to Hulu’s “Welcome to Wrexham” — that encapsulated his group’s purchase of the Senators and their road to the playoffs if one transpired in the future.
The 46-year-old star, born in Vancouver, B.C., announced his interest in buying the Senators during last November’s appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“I am trying to [buy the team]; it’s very expensive, so I need a partner with really deep pockets,” Reynolds told Fallon. “It’s called a consortium, when you form a group to buy an entity, and it’s such a fancy way of saying, ‘I need a sugar mommy or a sugar daddy,’ and if that doesn’t happen, I’ll buy a U.S. senator, which everyone can afford.”
Reynolds has no intentions of joining another group, Garrioch reports, though there is a chance he could change course and find another partner at the last minute.
Six other groups are believed to be still in the running, with Snoop Dogg and The Weeknd squaring off as the final two celebrities left standing.
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