Ryan Reynolds may want to buy the Sens, but an expert says it’s unlikely | CBC News

Canadian superstar Ryan Reynolds appears to have expressed interest in buying the Ottawa Senators, and while fans are raving about the possibility, one expert says it’s unlikely to happen.

This was reported by People magazine on Wednesday Dead Pool Actor and entrepreneur considered buying the NHL team amid reports that the owners are considering a sale.

Reaction on social media was swift, with fans Photoshopping images of Reynolds’ Deadpool character wearing a Senators jersey into a team photo.

One account even redesigned the Ottawa Senators’ logo, replacing the centurion figure with Deadpool’s mask.

On Tuesday, Reynolds himself responded to a fan on Twitter who suggested buying the team — not exactly a yes, but not a no either.

While fans seem excited, why would Ryan Reynolds want anything to do with Ottawa let alone buy his NHL team?

For starters, Reynolds is Canadian. Born in Vancouver, he lived in Ottawa’s Vanier neighborhood for a time and maintains close ties to the city.
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Reynolds donated to the Ottawa Food Bank in 2020. He also posed during the pandemic as Bruce the Intern, the man behind the clever Ottawa Public Health Twitter account.

Earlier this year, Mayor Jim Watson named a street “Ryan Reynolds Way.”

While the idea that Reynolds might be interested in buying the Senators comes as a surprise to many, the team isn’t so sure.

“Yeah, that’s interesting. You hear all these things coming out,” laughed manager DJ Smith on Thursday when asked about the prospect of Reynolds becoming owner of the club.

“For us as a group, all we want is to win hockey games, and we’re going to do whatever we can.”

Defender Erik Brännström also smiled when asked for his opinion.

“I saw that yesterday. Yeah, that would be fun,” Brännström said, although he admitted he hadn’t seen any of Reynolds’ films.

Reynolds needs a billionaire partner, says expert

Despite fan support, it’s unclear if the actor could even afford to buy the team.

“Here’s the thing. Let’s say he’s got cash sitting idle, $50 million, $100 million, right? We’re talking about a team that will cost $700 million,” said Moshe Lander, an economics professor at Concordia University in Montreal.

“It will require very, very deep pockets. And if you want to sell small token shares to the likes of Ryan Reynolds, do it – but it’s better to have a figurehead at the top who has a lot of zeros after his name.”

Ryan Reynolds would need billionaire partners to buy Sens, says economics professor

Concordia University economics professor Moshe Lander said actor Ryan Reynolds is much more of a “poster boy” for Ottawa senators than a direct owner.

There is the added complication that the senators could leave the Canadian Tire Center, located 25 kilometers west of downtown.

Three months after the death of former owner Eugene Melnyk in March, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced it had signed a letter of intent with a Senators-led group to build an NHL arena and venue in the middle of a mixed-use development in… LeBreton Flats to develop near downtown Ottawa.

The group’s concept is still in its infancy, emphasized the NCC, with the aim of signing a long-term lease in autumn 2023.

Lander said it was likely someone like Reynolds would not be interested in embarking on such a complicated and political deal.

Reynolds has a history of investing in professional sports teams. Last year he and actor and producer Rob McElhenney invested more than $3.4 million to buy Wrexham Association Football Club, a North Wales football team.

CBC tried to reach Reynolds for an interview but received no comment.