The Ottawa Senators have been up for sale for eight months now, and the process is coming to a close. Interested ownership groups submitted their final bids on Monday, with a couple of megastars headlining the interested parties.
Musical artists Snoop Dogg and The Weeknd are involved in separate bids for the franchise, as reported by the Ottawa Sun. Four bids in total were submitted, with one bid topping $1 billion US.
Snoop Dogg joined a group headed up by Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks recently. This group also includes members of First Nations communities in Canada. Sparks' first bid on the team was reportedly $925 million.
The Weeknd, meanwhile, joined an ownership group led by Jeffery and Michael Kimel. The Kimel brothers head up the Toronto-based Harlo Financial Group. They once held a minority stake in the Pittsburgh Penguins and attempted to buy the team outright in 2021.
Another Toronto businessman, Michael Andlauer, also submitted a bid on Monday. Andlauer owns a minority stake in the Montreal Canadiens that would need to be sold prior to buying the Senators.
Finally, billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos rounded out the final bidders for the Senators. Apostolopoulos also submitted a bid for the NFL's Washington Commanders for $6 billion. However, the Commanders were ultimately sold to a group led by NBA legend Magic Johnson and Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris.
Another high-profile name had an interest in buying the Senators at one point. Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds made his desire to purchase the Senators known. Ultimately, his bid fell apart shortly before Monday's deadline.
This process has been a long time coming, and it is nearing its final conclusion. Only time will tell who comes out as the next owner of the Ottawa Senators.
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