Ryan Reynolds in Ottawa as Senators sale heats up
Ryan Reynolds spent the day in Ottawa as he continues his efforts to buy the Senators, meeting with officials from the city of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission and attending the Senators game.
The Deadpool star posted a photo on Instagram with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe on Thursday morning, taken at the mayor's office.
Also in the photo: Chris Bratty, the president of Remington Group. Reynolds has aligned himself with the Toronto-based real estate developers in their bid for the team.
"It was great to welcome Ryan to Ottawa City Hall and it's great to have him in our city," Sutcliffe said about the meeting with Reynolds and Bratty.
"I'm grateful for the fact that he has an interest in the Ottawa Senators and an interest in investing in our city, I think that's a really great sign of where the team and our community are and where we're going, that we're able to attract that kind of interest."
Reynolds and Bratty also met with National Capital Commission CEO Tobi Nussbaum while in Ottawa.
Bratty and senior Ottawa Senators officials, including president of business operations Anthony LeBlanc and vice-president of business operations Chris Phillips, were spotted leaving the National Capital Commission headquarters on Elgin Street during the lunch hour. Reynolds is believed to have exited the building through a side door to avoid media on Elgin Street, and was seen walking into a downtown hotel a few minutes later.
"As part of the ongoing process, we made ourselves available to answer questions the shortlisted groups of potential buyers of the Ottawa Senators may have," the NCC said in a statement.
"Our CEO Tobi Nussbaum met with representatives of The Remington Group today, including Ryan Reynolds. We answered their questions on the Memorandum of Understanding with Capital Sports Development Inc. and the Building LeBreton project."
Sutcliffe said the meeting at Ottawa City Hall focused on the future of the team and the city.
"We talked about the Senators and about the opportunity for this not to just be about a hockey team, but about the entire community," Sutcliffe told CTV News Ottawa.
"You know what's happened with the soccer team that he purchased with a partner in Wrexham in Wales, that has completely revived that community and transformed that community. He talked about the potential for the Senators to be a global brand and for this to be the beginning of something really special for our community. So that's very exciting."
Reynolds and his colleagues attended the Senators home game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. TSN showed Reynolds sitting in a private box during the first period of the game.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed earlier this week during his visit to Ottawa that there are about a half-dozen groups still in the running to buy the club.
- READ MORE: Bettman: Senators sale 'a matter of weeks'
The various groups have been conducting site visits to Ottawa in the past week or so, including meeting with senior Senators staff and surveying the land at LeBreton Flats that the National Capital Commission has set aside for a new arena.
Reynolds also took in a game at the Canadian Tire Centre in November, shortly after he announced his intention to buy the team.
Sutcliffe notes Reynolds and Bratty are one of several groups bidding for the club, and he will meet with any potential bidders to answer questions.
"We're ready to work with whoever the eventual owner of the Senators is to make sure that the team is successful and that it's good for our community," Sutcliffe said.
Bettman was asked about Reynolds' interest in the team at a news conference at the Canadian Tire Centre on Monday.
"Ryan believed it was important to connect with a bidder that he believed would be a good match for him," he said. "He wants to see his bid through, and I respect his view of the process. He wants to take it from beginning to end."
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.