Michael Andlauer to become new Ottawa Senators owner, New York Rangers announce Peter Laviolette as new head coach, and more

The lengthy bidding process to become the new owner of the Ottawa Senators has finally come to a close, and billionaire Michael Andlauer has come out on top.

The deal has been reportedly believed to be worth around $1 billion USD, the highest ever for an NHL team.

Andlauer is the lead of the group that encompasses several local partners, that of which includes Farm Boy partner Jeff York and the Malhotra Family, the owners of Claridge Homes.

Senators Sports and Entertainment has entered an agreement to sell 90 percent of the club to the group led by Andlauer, the remaining 10 percent will be retained by the daughters of late team owner Eugene Melnyk, Anna and Olivia.

The Senators were officially put up for sale on Nov. 7th, 2022 and saw a handful of potential buyers place their offers before the May 15th deadline, before Andlauer outbid them. The other bidders included: billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos, who pulled out of the race just days ago, Ryan Reynolds and the Markham-based Remington Group, Los Angeles producer Neko Sparks, and Jeffery and Michael Kimel of Harlo Capital.

Here’s what Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis reported on the details of the agreement:

As part of the deal, the team is to stay in Ottawa and won’t be relocated. The deal still needs approval from Gary Bettman and the NHL’s board of governors, who are set to meet in New York later this month.

Andlauer currently owns 10 percent of the Montreal Canadiens, but will be forced to sell his share as a result of the bid. He also owns the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, which recently moved from its long-time home in Hamilton.

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One major piece to be decided is the future of a new arena.

According to Garrioch’s sources, Andlauer has not decided whether the team will play closer to downtown Ottawa or in the LeBreton Flats area.

New York Rangers name Peter Laviolette as new head coach

The New York Rangers officially announced, on Tuesday afternoon, that seasoned coach Peter Laviolette would be their 37th head coach in franchise history.

Laviolette will replace Gerard Gallant, who parted with the Rangers after their first-round exit in April.

Laviolette is notably known for coaching the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup Championship, but that’s not the only team he’s guided near the top. In 21 seasons Lavoilette has been to the playoffs 13 times, and has hit the finals with three different franchises, the Hurricanes in 2006, the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, and the Nashville Predators in 2017.

More recently, Laviolette had been the bench boss for the Washington Capitals from 2019-2023, but after missing the postseason this year for the first time since 2014, the two agreed to mutually part ways.

Now the question lingers, will Laviolette be able to deliver a Stanley Cup to the Rangers?

On Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk broke down the newly appointed bench bosses’ resume and accomplishments.

Here’s Daily Faceoff‘s Colton Davies transcription of the episode:

Yaremchuk: He won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes back in 06’ and taken two other teams to Stanley Cup Finals as well. Is this the right fit for the New York Rangers, as they are in their championship contender window?

Seravalli: If you rewind two months ago to the DFO Rundown podcast, I mentioned that he would be the perfect fit for where this team is at. They got to the Conference Final two seasons ago ahead of schedule; then they took a disappointing step back with a loss in the first round. They also have a lot of the positional checks as well; they’ve got the goalie in Shesterkin, the Norris Trophy winner in Fox on the back end, all these forwards up front-loaded with talent, and how can they find a way to better compliment this group and push it to succeed?

I think one of the big thugs missing was the coaching, the in-game adjustments and all that. I’ve seen Laviolette up close, I’ve seen him cook, I covered him for parts of four years while he was with the Flyers and saw him take that team that was a 7th seed team all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010. In his second season with the Predators, he took them to the Cup final. You mentioned it, three different franchises to the cup final, having won once. And just an in-gut feel, whether it’s an in-game situation, calling a timeout, he gets it, and he senses it, I don’t expect him to change his style. He isn’t going to be any different in New York than he was in Washington or Nashville. Laviolette is one of the winningest American-born coaches of all time, and I’d expect in New York, where he played his only NHL games and has a small connection to this organization. that this is going to be a great fit.

Philadelphia Flyers name Patrick Sharp as Special Advisor to Hockey Operations

The rebuild continues in Philadelphia as the Flyers have named former player and three-time Stanley Cup Champion, Patrick Sharp, as Special Advisor to Hockey Operations.

The Flyers have continued with “new era of orange” after firing general manager Chuck Fletcher in early March, and as a result, have been overhauling their front office.

Sharp played in parts of three seasons with the Flyers from 2002-05, before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks where he helped lead the team to three Stanley Cup Championships.

Sharp has been working within the NBC Sports media community as a colour commentator and studio analyst, as well has served an advisor to coaching staff at the University of Vermont since retiring from playing the game in 2018. This will mark his first professional hockey team staff position. Here’s what Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell reported on Flyers general manager Daniel Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones’ press conference announcing the addition of Sharp to the club:

“I am proud to announce the addition of Patrick Sharp to our hockey operations team,” said Briere. “Patrick is a well-established veteran on-and-off the ice and his incomparable hockey knowledge will be a valuable asset to our organization and young prospects.”

Sharp’s role with the Flyers will see him report directly to Briere, getting involved in all aspects of the hockey operations department of the team with a primary focus on helping develop the club’s prospects.

“In adding Patrick Sharp to our group, we are gaining an individual who has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to building an environment of winning at all levels,” said President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones. “Patrick knows what it takes to win, he understands how to convey that to our players and is a relationship maker. He will be a vital component as we continue to build the foundation of the Philadelphia Flyers.”

Aleena Aksenchuk is an intern with Oilersnation and the Nation Network. She can be found on Twitter at @A_Aksenchuk8.