CANATA, Ontario. – Michael Andlauer was officially introduced as the new owner of the Ottawa Senators.
A day after the NHL officially announced its purchase of the club, Andlauer addressed the media at the Canadian Tire Centre.
“It feels good,” Andlauer said as he pulled on a Senators jersey.
The NHL announced late Thursday that the club’s transfer to a group led by Andlauer had been unanimously approved by the league’s board of governors. Andlauer immediately took control of the Senators’ operations.
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The sales price for the Senators was $950 million – the highest amount ever paid for an NHL franchise.
The club was officially put up for sale on November 7, following the passing of previous owner Eugene Melnyk on March 28, 2022. Melynk’s daughters retain 10 percent of the team.
As one of his first acts as owner, Andlauer announced that Cyril Leeder is returning to the Senators as President and Chief Executive Officer. Leeder was president of the team from 2009 to 2017 and has held other roles since the team’s inception.
Ottawa missed the playoffs last year after a 39-35-8 regular season.
Andlauer is founder and CEO of Andlauer Heathcare Group and founder of Toronto-based merchant bank Bulldog Capital Partners. He previously owned 10 percent of the Montreal Canadiens.
Its ownership group includes the Malhotra family, owners of Ottawa real estate development giant Claridge Homes, Jeff York, co-CEO of grocery store Farm Boy, and Oshawa Generals president and governor Rocco Tullio.
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The Senators, led by captain Brady Tkachuk, will start the new season with a young, successful core.
This summer, Ottawa signed Stanley Cup winner Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year contract as a free agent after trading away 25-year-old winger Alex DeBrincat. The team also signed defenseman Jake Sanderson this summer to an eight-year contract extension worth $64.4 million.
The Senators play their first preseason game of the new season on Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
