Snoop Dogg involved in Senators ownership bid
Another big name has entered the race to buy the Ottawa Senators.
Snoop Dogg is part of a prospective ownership group led by Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks, the rapper confirmed on social media Monday.
"Amazing what @neko_sparks is trying to do in Ottawa & I'm looking forward to being apart of that ownership team," Snoop Dogg posted on Instagram. "I WANNA BRING HOCKEY TO OUR COMMUNITY."
Sparks and his group would be the first Black-led ownership group in the NHL if they are successful in their bid for the Senators.
The news of Snoop's involvement, first reported by The Athletic, adds another wrinkle to the Senators ownership process, which is heating up. He joins another A-list celebrity, Ryan Reynolds, as a prospective owner of the Senators. Multiple reports say May 15 is the deadline for final bids.
“He’s passionately involved. He’s coming up with ideas. And he’s legitimately excited,” a source told The Athletic about Snoop’s involvement. “He wants this team.”
Snoop has a number of business ventures on top of his rap career, including a liquor brand, restaurants, music production studios and a venture capital firm specializing in cannabis startups.
He is also a longtime hockey fan. Snoop has provided commentary for Los Angeles Kings broadcast in the past. And he has worn Senators jerseys during performances in Ottawa, including at Bluesfest.
Reynolds has partnered with Toronto-based real estate firm the Remington Group to make a bid. Postmedia has reported that the group is preparing a bid of more than $1 billion to buy the Senators and the Canadian Tire Centre.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in late March that there were about a half-dozen groups seeking to buy the team.
The Senators have been on the market since the family of late owner Eugene Melnyk put the team up for sale in November.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
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.
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 brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'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.
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.