Snoop Dogg and The Weeknd have been edged out in the Ottawa Senators bidding war, both having hoped to become the first Black owners of an NHL franchise.
Although Snoop Dogg and The Weeknd have expanded their reach across countless brand deals and investments, the musicians’ A-list swagger and household names weren’t enough to break into the business of NHL franchise ownership.
Snoop once teamed up with the NHL in 2018 for the weekly video series “Hockey 101 With Snoop Dogg,” and more recently, the rapper and entrepreneur was part of a group assembled by Los Angeles-based business mogul Neko Sparks in a bid to purchase the Ottawa Senators.
Dedicated hockey fan and Toronto native The Weeknd — who now goes by his legal name, Abel Tesfaye — joined a rival bid led by hometown billionaires Jeffrey and Michael Kimel of Harlo Capital Group. But neither Tesfaye nor Snoop — nor actor Ryan Reynolds, who was allegedly among one of the half dozen bidding groups interested — could strike a deal.
ESPN reports that the Senators’ board of directors announced Tuesday that a group led by Andlauer Healthcare Group CEO Michael Andlauer put in a successful bid at nearly $1 billion. However, the board has yet to disclose the deal’s final terms.
The 57-year-old Andlauer also owns the Ontario Hockey League’s Brantford Bulldogs and will have to divest his 10 percent stake in the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens team as part of the agreement.
“My family and I are very excited to be part of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club,” said Andlauer in a statement to ESPN. “I believe that the Senators’ fanbase is one of the most passionate in the league, and I’m excited to take the franchise’s success — both on and off the ice — to the next level.”
According to ESPN, Andlauer’s bid edged out the one from the Kimels, while Sparks’ offer was said to be “underfunded.”
