Michael Andlauer reaches deal to purchase Ottawa Senators

After a star-studded and protracted bidding conflict, a gaggle led by Michael Andlauer has reached a deal to purchase 90 per cent of the Ottawa Senators, the membership introduced Tuesday.

Olivia and Anna Melnyk, daughters of former proprietor Eugene Melnyk, will retain 10 per cent of the membership.

The deal requires approval of the NHL.

Andlauer is a part-owner of the Montreal Canadiens and the proprietor of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs.

“My household and I are very excited to be part of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Membership. I consider that the Senators’ fanbase is among the most passionate within the league and I’m excited to take the franchise’s success each on and off the ice to the following degree,” Andlauer stated in an announcement.

“The quick and long-term way forward for the workforce is extremely shiny, and I stay up for attending to know the workforce, the fanbase and the neighborhood.”

4 teams remained within the working final week earlier than Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos’ group dropped out.

That left teams led by Andlauer, Toronto-based brothers Jeffrey and Michael Kimel, and Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks within the combine.

The bid from the Kimel household reportedly included multi-platinum Canadian recording artist The Weeknd, who carried out on the 2021 Tremendous Bowl.

Sparks had assembled a gaggle of traders that included everybody from hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg and former Olympic sprinter Donovan Bailey, to Canadian comic Russell Peters and the solid of CBC present “Dragons’ Den.” 

Andlauer hasn’t been related to any notable celebrities, however Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan experiences his group has a number of native connections, together with Jeff York, co-CEO of grocery retailer chain Farm Boy.

Andlauer has a historical past of hockey possession that spans three ranges of the sport.

He was a part of a gaggle — led by the Molson household — that bought the Canadiens in 2009. Earlier than that, he was the only proprietor of an American Hockey League membership primarily based out of Hamilton for 11 years earlier than promoting it to the Canadiens in 2015. He then bought the Ontario Hockey League’s Belleville franchise and moved it to the Metal Metropolis. Each groups had been known as the Hamilton Bulldogs. The OHL workforce not too long ago relocated to Brantford for the 2023-24 season.

Andlauer has gained one AHL championship and two OHL titles.

Based on his firm bio, the 57-year-old Andlauer’s enterprise background is in transportation and logistics, with a deal with the healthcare sector (Andlauer Healthcare Group Inc.). He additionally based Bulldog Capital Companions, a Toronto-based service provider financial institution. 

Andlauer lists himself as an alternate governor for the Canadiens.

After Senators proprietor Eugene Melnyk died in 2022, his two daughters, Anna and Olivia, took management of the workforce. The franchise was put up on the market later within the 12 months.

The search to discover a new proprietor for the membership gained surprising consideration in November 2022 after actor Ryan Reynolds expressed curiosity in an possession stake. He later joined Remington Group in January, which put collectively a bid exceeding $1 billion, however determined to not transfer ahead with its supply in Could, forward of the deadline for ultimate bids. Ultimately, simply 4 bidders had been left.

The Senators have a memorandum of understanding to construct a rink on the central LeBreton Flats web site, which is positioned on the southern shore of the Ottawa River, adjoining to the Canadian Struggle Museum and inside strolling distance of Parliament Hill and town core.

The workforce at the moment performs on the Canadian Tire Centre, 22 kilometres outdoors of Ottawa’s downtown, within the suburb of Kanata.