New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - The NHL's Board of Governors unanimously approved billionaire Eugene Melnyk's bid to buy the Ottawa Senators and the Corel Centre on Tuesday. Melnyk, who also owns Toronto's St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey League, came forward after previous owner Rod Bryden's offer to repurchase the team feel through. The Senators, more than $160 million in debt, declared bankruptcy on Jan. 9. A court-appointed monitor representing the creditors recommended last month that Melnyk's $71.8 million offer be approved. Ottawa had the best regular-season record in the NHL last season, losing in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference finals. The board also approved Bell Globemedia's purchase of Steve Stavro's ownership interest in the Toronto Maple Leafs and unanimously re-elected the Calgary Flames' Harley Hotchkiss to a fifth consecutive two-year term as its chairman. |
