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Report: Ryan Reynolds wants to bring 'Welcome to Wrexham'-style show to Ottawa

Reports and rumblings linking Ryan Reynolds to Ottawa Senators ownership are growing louder by the day. (Getty)
Reports and rumblings linking Ryan Reynolds to Ottawa Senators ownership are growing louder by the day. (Getty)

Ryan Reynolds wants to bring some Hollywood flair to the Ottawa Senators brand.

The star Canadian actor, who has made it known on multiple occasions he wants to be, in some capacity, part of the new ownership group that purchases the Sens, has reportedly ramped up those efforts recently, reaching out to potential buyers and feeling them out while deciding which group he wants to align himself with as parties prepare to make their bids for the franchise.

On Monday, Ottawa Sun reporter Bruce Garrioch noted that a key part of Reynolds' game plan is to bring a reality-style documentary series — similar to the popular Disney+ show Welcome to Wrexham — to Ottawa, which will feature the small-market NHL club, its players, staff and fans as the central characters.

"One of the things [Reynolds] wants to do is get his production company, Los Angeles-based Maximum Effort, involved and what they would do is a 'Welcome to Wrexham'-type series with the Ottawa Senators — a reality show that follows the Senators around through the course of the season, " Garrioch told TSN on Monday night.

Garrioch added that he believes Gary Bettman and the NHL have likely discussed this possibility with Reynolds and would be all for it, with the belief that Reynolds would be a "perfect fit" within the new Senators ownership group, whoever that turns out to be.

Reynolds, teaming up with fellow Hollywood star Rob McElhenney, invested over £2 million to purchase Welsh fifth-division team Wrexham A.F.C. — one of the oldest soccer clubs in the world — in February of 2021 with the plan of producing a reality series on the franchise centred around Reynolds and McElhinney’s involvement with the club.

The show, which has amassed a huge following and gained mass popularity after just one season, has yielded extremely positive results for the Welsh club both on and off the pitch, and the community and country have also benefited. Though the Senators are a major professional sports entity in a major Canadian city, there's no reason to believe this type of endeavour wouldn't be a massive success and PR win for the Senators and the NHL.

Reynolds first threw his hat into the ring to purchase the club almost immediately after the Senators' board announced the team would be put up for sale earlier this month following the death of former owner Eugene Melnyk, who left the franchise to his daughters, Olivia and Anna.

The Deadpool star poured more gas on the fire a few days later during an appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, saying he was absolutely serious about buying the Senators, but would need to be part of a well-funded group to make any bid work financially.

Though a recent Sportico report listed the Senators' value at $655 million, the franchise could be sold for over a billion dollars, according to the Ottawa Business Journal.

Reynolds is from Vancouver, B.C., but also spent a chunk of his childhood living in Ottawa.

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