from Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet,

In their best seasons, the Ottawa Senators and their fans were dealing with playoff fatigue at this time of year....

After the Victoria Day weekend of 2023, fans in Ottawa long for those playoff years because the current ownership sale fatigue isn’t nearly as much fun. Nearly 14 months after the death of franchise owner Eugene Melnyk, we are still waiting to find out who “Owns! Owns!” the Sens, to borrow from Slapshot.

To review, four groups filed bids on May 15 and there could be a winner named this week. Not that the new owners would step right in and conduct business on behalf of the Senators. It figures to be a long while yet before all the details and legalities of the transaction can be worked out. Galatioto Sports Partners (GSP) are handling the sale on behalf of the Melnyk estate and the winning bid group requires final approval of the NHL board of governors.

The confirmed bidders from the Toronto area are Michael Andlauer, the Kimel brothers (Jeffrey and Michael) and Steve Apostolopoulos. The first two groups have established NHL connections, via the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The fourth bid belongs to Neko Sparks of Los Angeles, who seems bent on adding a new celebrity with each passing day to add sizzle to his bid.

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