Browsing: owner

Sanjiv Goenka and Kane Williamson (X) Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka announced that former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has joined the franchise as their new Strategic Advisor ahead of IPL 2026. The franchise, which finished seventh in the 2025 season, will be looking to rebuild after a disappointing campaign despite boasting some of the biggest names in world cricket, including Rishabh Pant — who became the highest-paid player in IPL history with a ₹27 crore deal at the auction.

Sanjiv Goenka X post

“Kane has been a part of the Super Giants family and itâ€s an absolute delight to welcome him in his new role,†Goenka shared on X. “His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team.â€

Jasprit Bumrah should skip IPL for five-match Test series? Former India bowling coach weighs in

As reported earlier by TOI, Williamson replaces Zaheer Khan, who served as LSGâ€s mentor last season. The appointment reflects Goenkaâ€s long-standing admiration for the Kiwi starâ€s calm leadership and tactical sharpness, traits that helped New Zealand punch above their weight in global tournaments.Also read: Kane Williamson to be Lucknow Super Giants’ strategic adviser; Justin Langer retained as head coach, Carl Crowe appointed spin coach Williamson, 35, remains an active international cricketer but opted out of New Zealandâ€s central contract to explore franchise opportunities. Over his illustrious career, he has scored 9,276 runs in 105 Tests and 7,236 runs in 173 ODIs, with an average and temperament that rank among the finest in modern cricket. In the IPL, Williamson represented Sunrisers Hyderabad for several years, even leading them to the 2018 final, before short stints with Gujarat Titans. Now, his role at Lucknow will be about shaping the teamâ€s cricketing blueprint alongside head coach Justin Langer.

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It wasnâ€t exactly a secret what the Brooklyn Nets†goal was for this season: They used all five of their first-round picks last June, then this summer they traded or let walk Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schroder and Dâ€Angelo Russell. Brooklyn is going to lean into Cam Thomas — playing for his next contract on the qualifying offer — and Michael Porter Jr. to drive their offense.

But if you had any doubts about the plan, here is what team owner Joe Tsai said while on the All-In podcast (hat tip RealGM).

“I have to say weâ€re in a rebuilding year. We spent all of our pick (in the 2025 NBA Draft). We had five first-round draft picks this past summer …

“We have one [first-round] pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So, you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for this season. But we have a very young team.â€

This upcoming NBA Draft is considered a strong draft at the top with Darryn Peterson (Kansas), A.J. Dybantsa (BYU) and Cameron Boozer (Duke) all in the mix for the No. 1 pick, with some other real talent such as Nate Ament (Tennessee), Mikel Brown (Louisville) and Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor) worth keeping an eye on.

Brooklyn isnâ€t the only team starting this season with an eye toward the draft, the same idea is playing out in Utah and Washington, and you can be sure a few other teams with long-shot postseason hopes will be pivoting to the strategy early.

The Nets control their own pick this season, but in 2027 the Houston Rockets have swap rights. Starting in 2028, the Nets will have their own first-round picks and/or first-round picks or swaps coming in from the Knicks, 76ers and Nuggets.

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Mandaric took control of his father’s engineering business in the Serbian city of Novi Sad at the age of 21.

Five years later it was one of the largest firms in Yugoslavia and on a collision course with Marshal Tito, country’s communist dictator.

Tito denounced Mandaric as a “capitalist traitor” when the entrepreneur took his family to Switzerland.

Mandaric spent a year there, desperately trying to get his cash out of the Balkans, then moved to United States where he founded a computer-components firm and an electronics business.

He acquired US citizenship and signed George Best to play for the first professional sports team in Silicon Valley, the San Jose Earthquakes.

Frustrated by the slow progress of the game in the US, Mandaric bought Belgian club Charleroi and then moved on to Nice.

Portsmouth were on the brink of bankruptcy when he bought them in 1999 before being revived under his stewardship in a pattern which would earn him a reputation as football’s ‘Mr Fixit’.

There would be the wobbly start as owner and club got acquainted, a few spins of the managerial merry-go-round, investment in the squad, improvement, promotion, consolidation, sale.

With Harry Redknapp appointed as manager, Mandaric’s Portsmouth won the Championship in 2003 before he sold the club to French-Israeli businessman Alexandre Gaydamak for £32m in 2006.

Mandaric bought Leicester City for £6m in 2007. The Foxes were relegated to League One in 2007-08 but returned as champions in 08-09 and lost in the Championship play-off semi-finals in 09-10.

He sold Leicester to Thailand’s Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha for £40m later that year and bought a heavily indebted Sheffield Wednesday for £1.

The Owls won promotion from League One in 2012 before Mandaric sold them to another Thai, Dejphon Chansiri, for £37.5m.

Manadaric was also memorably involved with Redknapp in a corruption saga that started with a BBC Panorama investigation in 2006, and ended with them being acquitted of tax evasion in 2012.

Earlier this year, Mandaric considered buying back Wednesday to save the club from being “destroyed” under current chairman Chansiri.

However, he decided against pursuing the idea because he could not devote sufficient time to “return the club to the healthy condition I left it in”.

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Birmingham City owner Tom Wagner says lower-league clubs “should not take too much” from top Premier League sides, amid ongoing negotiations to redistribute a share of their wealth within the EFL.

Talks over a deal to share Premier League income within the football pyramid are carrying on against a backdrop of pressure from the government as a new independent football regulator is being established.

A bill to establish the regulator became law in July and will have backstop powers to force a deal should it not be agreed.

The Premier League argues English football can govern itself, stating a regulator will have “unprecedented and untested powers to intervene in the distribution of [its] revenues” and have “a negative impact on competitiveness and investment in world class talent”.

Speaking at The Summit, part of Leaders Week London 2025, Wagner, an American investor, said: “I think the top clubs in English football have to be protected at all costs. We can’t take too much from the top clubs to support the pyramid.

“If you have a situation where the top teams are not dominant, I mean internationally, with the very best players and product, then the interest will wane – particularly from the US market which will drive interest and capital flows into football.

“I love the pyramid – we have experienced a lot of it – but the top clubs that are highly successful have significant brand value and draw interest. We hope that interest will help grow the entire pyramid.”

Backed by significant US investment since 2023, Birmingham are among the richest clubs in the EFL and secured a record 111 points when earning promotion from League One to the Championship last season.

Birmingham spent £25m in League One last season, more than the rest of the division combined, according to Transfermarkt.

They are among the biggest spenders in the EFL, along with Welsh club Wrexham, who are owned by a consortium that features Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

Eleven of the 20 teams in the Premier League have US owners and a two-thirds majority could allow them to band together to vote through major changes in the sport, including a much-debated overseas 39th match.

Wagner is supportive of playing a match overseas in the United States, with the club having floated the idea of playing Wrexham there last season.

He said: “We have two US-owned clubs in the Championship and our matches did very well in the US when broadcast. I think we are only scratching the surface of what we can do internationally and that’s very exciting.”

The co-founder of Knighthead Capital Management also spoke extensively about Birmingham’s Sport Quarter development plans, which include a proposed multipurpose 62,000-seat stadium.

The club believe the stadium will allow Birmingham to become more of a football destination as it “doesn’t make sense” that people keep travelling to London and Manchester but skip the “second city”.

Wagner also said he would welcome Birmingham’s local rivals enjoying on-field success.

“I respect fans enjoy the misery of their crosstown rivals,” he said, “but if I was to root against Villa or Wolves in our immediate area then I am rooting against clubs in the Birmingham area and lessening the quality of Birmingham football.

“Manchester United and City are two great clubs in the same city, London have a lot of great crosstown rivals, so why wouldn’t we want that for Birmingham to increase the interest?”

Wagner also explained that he and his colleagues had no interest in multi-club ownership and that they had explored investing a minority stake in a London side but considered it overvalued before buying into Birmingham.

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BOSTON — The Boston Celtics are expecting a smooth ownership transition – and not just because much of the old brain trust is sticking around.

New owner Bill Chisholm says he isnâ€t going to mess with the success of the people who won two NBA championships in their 23 years in charge.

“Letâ€s do whatever we can to win championships and raise banners, and raise as many as we can,†he said in a news conference on Thursday, flanked by former lead owner Wyc Grousbeck, incumbent president Rich Gotham and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. “I will do whatever it takes, whatever the Boston Celtics need me to do.â€

A Massachusetts native who made his money in private equity, Chisholm leads a group that will pay at least $6.1 billion for the Celtics – at the time, a record price for an American professional sports franchise; the NBA unanimously approved the deal last month. He told reporters on Thursday that the opportunity to buy into his favorite team was too good to pass up.

“The Celtics have brought me joy my entire life,†he said. “I feel like I have something to add here. This was an opportunity that was a dream that came true. For me to have this chance, I would never forgive myself if I didnâ€t go for it.â€

Grousbeck and co-owner Steve Pagliuca led a group that bought the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million and presided over an era in which the Celtics won two NBA titles, lost in the Finals two other times and made the playoffs in 20 of 23 seasons. The teamâ€s most recent title came in 2024, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Grousbeck said he will continue with the team as the CEO for five years – with no plans to leave after that. His ownership share will dip below the 15% required for him to continue as the teamâ€s designated governor for league matters, though, so he will serve as alternate governor.

“Iâ€m staying in, shoulder-to-shoulder with Bill,†he said. “I want a third ring. And then I want a fourth ring. Iâ€ve got two, itâ€s a nice start.â€

In all, Grousbeck said, more than half of the old ownership group will be sticking around, along with Stevens, Gotham and coach Joe Mazzulla.

But there should be no question who is in charge.

“Thereâ€s a governor, and the governor has the final say, and thatâ€s me,†Chisholm said. “Ultimately, Iâ€m the one responsible.â€

Chisholm said he supported the idea of a WNBA team in Boston.

The Connecticut Sun are for sale, and Pagliuca offered to buy them and move them to Boston. (Pagliuca also made an offer for the Celtics but was outbid by Chisholm.)

But the league nixed the deal, saying cities that had already applied for expansion teams were a higher priority.

“Itâ€s definitely something weâ€re going to look at. And I know the (WNBA) has a process,†Chisholm said. “Weâ€ll do what we can to expedite things. Thereâ€s a process there. But philosophically it makes so much sense.â€

Chisholm also sounded like he wasnâ€t eager to move out of TD Garden, which the Celtics share with the NHLâ€s Boston Bruins, saying “weâ€ve got a great thing going right now.â€

“I really like the Boston Garden, personally. More importantly, the team and the players really like the Boston Garden. And equally important, the fans really like the Boston Garden. So thatâ€s a starting point,†he said. “The second thing is I think the Celtics and the Bruins belong together.â€

Also meeting the media on Thursday was Aditya Mittal, the son of one of Indiaâ€s richest men and the CEO of a ArcelorMittal, the second-largest steel-producing company in the world. He said he first visited Boston in the 1980s and attended a Celtics game at the old Boston Garden.

“It was magical,†he said. “I fell in love with it.â€

Chisholm takes over the team in a bit of a transition just two seasons after its latest title.

Tatum is recovering from surgery to repair the ruptured right Achilles tendon he suffered in Bostonâ€s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks, dooming the Celtics†hopes of a repeat.

And in order to avoid the second apron penalties of the NBAâ€s salary tax, the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis – key parts of the title-winning team – this summer. Grousbeck said those deals would have happened even if the team wasnâ€t sold.

Stevens said the deals werenâ€t about the financial penalties as much as the roster restrictions: If Boston had been over the second apron at the time, it would not have been able to acquire Porzingis, Holiday or Derrick White in the first place.

“You have to give yourself the flexibility and opportunity to jump at the right deals. You donâ€t always know when those are present themselves,†Stevens said. “So the second apron was the key.â€

Chisholm said his message to the basketball operations crew is “Letâ€s go for it, but letâ€s do it in a reasonable way.â€

“The flexibility the Brad talks about, I think thatâ€s paramount to doing that,†he said. “But, ultimately, weâ€re going to do everything we can to win. Itâ€s job No. 1.â€

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have yet to secure star forward Kirill Kaprizov beyond this season with a long-term contract.

Owner Craig Leipold is trying to remain patient and stay in his lane, fully confident in leaving the process to general manager Bill Guerin and his assistants.

“Billyâ€s the guy. Heâ€s the one that does the negotiating, no matter who it is, and thatâ€s his responsibility and his role,†Leipold said. “Weâ€ve got a great relationship.â€

Can the same be said about the dynamic between the NHL club and Kaprizovâ€s camp? Thatâ€s difficult to discern, with neither side divulging much about whether a new deal is still realistic before the regular season begins in two weeks. Leipold declined to discuss any specifics regarding Kaprizov, who has 386 points in 319 regular season games and 21 points in 25 playoff games.

Kaprizov said after the teamâ€s first practice that he considers Minnesota his “second home†behind his native Russia and likes being in the Twin Cities area and playing for the Wild.

“We have a lot of time. Itâ€s just 2025, and itâ€s one more year I have,†he said then. “I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go in playoffs and win there.â€

At his annual preseason media address last year, Leipold confidently said no other team could offer Kaprizov a longer or richer contract than the Wild. Guerin expressed confidence at the beginning of the offseason in the completion of a deal, but that didnâ€t happen during the summer and Kaprizov has been on the ice with the team for a week with no news about the 28-year-old left wing.

“As we all know, this is a sport that is more than one player,†Leipold said. “But obviously heâ€s a special player, and special players do special things. So weâ€d love to have a player of his caliber on our team.â€

Which they do now, clearly but for how long?

One complicating factor in the Kaprizov situation for the Wild has been the rising salary cap and the other stars around the league who also are unsigned beyond this season.

“Thatâ€s a lot of new money in the system that, frankly, a year or two ago we certainly had no idea was going to be available,†Leipold said. “So, it does change things, but we have to change with it.â€

Leipold spoke to reporters during the Wildâ€s first home preseason game, their first time taking the ice at Grand Casino Arena. The 25-year-old facility has given the capitol cityâ€s quiet downtown a boost of economic and social activity since it opened for the NHL club as Xcel Energy Center. The utility companyâ€s naming rights for the arena expired earlier this year.

The Wild have begun talks with city, county and state officials about public help for a renovation project they believe is necessary to compete for revenue streams with newer NHL arenas and other venues in Minnesota.

Across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have begun to assess options for replacing the 35-year-old Target Center. But Leipold said the two teams will not consider sharing an arena like the majority of American markets with both NBA and NHL franchises do.

“We are going to stay in St. Paul, and they are going to stay in Minneapolis. Itâ€s pretty hard to negotiate from that point.†As for the Wild finally getting out of the first round of the playoffs, a feat they have only accomplished three times — and not in more than 10 years?

“I believe in it. I believe in hard work and preparation. I like our team. I hope weâ€re lucky enough not to have injuries. I think this could be a really special year,†Leipold said. “Iâ€ve thought that before, but one of these years everythingâ€s going to kind of come together in a nice package, and hopefully itâ€s this one.â€

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have yet to secure star forward Kirill Kaprizov beyond this season with a long-term contract.

Owner Craig Leipold is trying to remain patient and stay in his lane, fully confident in leaving the process to general manager Bill Guerin and his assistants.

“Billyâ€s the guy. Heâ€s the one that does the negotiating, no matter who it is, and thatâ€s his responsibility and his role,†Leipold said on Thursday night. “We’ve got a great relationship.â€

Can the same be said about the dynamic between the NHL club and Kaprizov’s camp? That’s difficult to discern, with neither side divulging much about whether a new deal is still realistic before the regular season begins in two weeks. Leipold declined to discuss any specifics regarding Kaprizov, who has 386 points in 319 regular season games and 21 points in 25 playoff games.

Kaprizov said last week after the team’s first practice that he considers Minnesota his “second home†behind his native Russia and likes being in the Twin Cities area and playing for the Wild.

“We have a lot of time. Itâ€s just 2025, and itâ€s one more year I have,†he said then. “I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go in playoffs and win there.â€

At his annual preseason media address last year, Leipold confidently said no other team could offer Kaprizov a longer or richer contract than the Wild. Guerin expressed confidence at the beginning of the offseason in the completion of a deal, but that didnâ€t happen during the summer and Kaprizov has been on the ice with the team for a week with no news about the 28-year-old left wing.

“As we all know, this is a sport that is more than one player,” Leipold said. “But obviously heâ€s a special player, and special players do special things. So weâ€d love to have a player of his caliber on our team.â€

Which they do now, clearly but for how long?

One complicating factor in the Kaprizov situation for the Wild has been the rising salary cap and the other stars around the league who also are unsigned beyond this season.

“That’s a lot of new money in the system that, frankly, a year or two ago we certainly had no idea was going to be available,” Leipold said. “So, it does change things, but we have to change with it.â€

Leipold spoke to reporters during the Wildâ€s first home preseason game, their first time taking the ice at Grand Casino Arena. The 25-year-old facility has given the capitol cityâ€s quiet downtown a boost of economic and social activity since it opened for the NHL club as Xcel Energy Center. The utility companyâ€s naming rights for the arena expired earlier this year.

The Wild have begun talks with city, county and state officials about public help for a renovation project they believe is necessary to compete for revenue streams with newer NHL arenas and other venues in Minnesota.

Across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have begun to assess options for replacing the 35-year-old Target Center. But Leipold said the two teams will not consider sharing an arena like the majority of American markets with both NBA and NHL franchises do.

“We are going to stay in St. Paul, and they are going to stay in Minneapolis. Itâ€s pretty hard to negotiate from that point.†As for the Wild finally getting out of the first round of the playoffs, a feat they have only accomplished three times — and not in more than 10 years?

“I believe in it. I believe in hard work and preparation. I like our team. I hope weâ€re lucky enough not to have injuries. I think this could be a really special year,†Leipold said. “Iâ€ve thought that before, but one of these years everythingâ€s going to kind of come together in a nice package, and hopefully itâ€s this one.â€

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Sep 25, 2025, 07:36 PM ET

BOSTON — The Celtics are expecting a smooth ownership transition — and not just because much of the old brain trust is sticking around.

New owner Bill Chisholm says he isn’t going to mess with the success of the people who won two NBA championships in their 23 years in charge.

“Let’s do whatever we can to win championships and raise banners, and raise as many as we can,” he said in a news conference Thursday, flanked by former lead owner Wyc Grousbeck, incumbent president Rich Gotham and president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. “I will do whatever it takes, whatever the Boston Celtics need me to do.”

A Massachusetts native who made his money in private equity, Chisholm leads a group that will pay at least $6.1 billion for the Celtics — at the time, a record price for an American professional sports franchise; the NBA unanimously approved the deal last month. He told reporters Thursday that the opportunity to buy into his favorite team was too good to pass up.

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“The Celtics have brought me joy my entire life,” he said. “I feel like I have something to add here. This was an opportunity that was a dream that came true. For me to have this chance, I would never forgive myself if I didn’t go for it.”

Grousbeck and co-owner Steve Pagliuca led a group that bought the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million and presided over an era in which the Celtics won two NBA titles, lost in the Finals two other times and made the playoffs in 20 of 23 seasons. The team’s most recent title came in 2024, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Grousbeck said he will continue with the team as the CEO for five years, with no plans to leave after that. His ownership share will dip below the 15% required for him to continue as the team’s designated governor for league matters, though, so he will serve as alternate governor.

“I’m staying in, shoulder to shoulder with Bill,” he said. “I want a third ring. And then I want a fourth ring. I’ve got two. It’s a nice start.”

In all, Grousbeck said, more than half of the old ownership group will be sticking around, along with Stevens, Gotham and coach Joe Mazzulla.

But there should be no question who is in charge.

“There’s a governor, and the governor has the final say, and that’s me,” Chisholm said. “Ultimately, I’m the one responsible.”

Chisholm said he supported the idea of a WNBA team in Boston. The Connecticut Sun are for sale, and Pagliuca offered to buy them and move them to Boston. (Pagliuca also made an offer for the Celtics but was outbid by Chisholm.)

But the league nixed the deal, saying cities that had already applied for expansion teams were a higher priority.

“It’s definitely something we’re going to look at. And I know the [WNBA] has a process,” Chisholm said. “We’ll do what we can to expedite things. There’s a process there. But philosophically it makes so much sense.”

Chisholm also sounded like he wasn’t eager to move out of TD Garden, which the Celtics share with the NHL’s Boston Bruins, saying “we’ve got a great thing going right now.”

“I really like the Boston Garden, personally. More importantly, the team and the players really like the Boston Garden. And equally important, the fans really like the Boston Garden. So that’s a starting point,” he said. “The second thing is, I think the Celtics and the Bruins belong together.”

Also meeting the media Thursday was Aditya Mittal, the son of one of India’s richest men and the CEO of ArcelorMittal, the second-largest steel-producing company in the world. He said he first visited Boston in the 1980s and attended a Celtics game at the old Boston Garden.

“It was magical,” he said. “I fell in love with it.”

The Celtics’ future is complicated by the salary cap. Chisholm takes over the team in a bit of a transition just two seasons after its latest title.

Tatum is recovering from surgery to repair the ruptured right Achilles tendon he suffered in Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks, dooming the Celtics’ hopes of a repeat.

And in order to avoid the second apron penalties of the NBA’s salary tax, the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — key parts of the title-winning team — this summer. Grousbeck said those deals would have happened even if the team wasn’t sold.

Stevens said the deals weren’t about the financial penalties as much as the roster restrictions: If Boston had been over the second apron at the time, it would not have been able to acquire Porzingis, Holiday or Derrick White in the first place.

“You have to give yourself the flexibility and opportunity to jump at the right deals. You don’t always know when those are present themselves,” Stevens said. “So the second apron was the key.”

Chisholm said his message to the basketball operations crew is, “Let’s go for it, but let’s do it in a reasonable way.”

“The flexibility Brad talks about, I think that’s paramount to doing that,” he said. “But ultimately, we’re going to do everything we can to win. It’s job No. 1.”

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Sep 24, 2025, 04:10 PM ET

PHOENIX — Defiant Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia says he’s not worried about the multiple lawsuits his franchise is facing, with claims ranging from discrimination to wrongful termination.

Ishbia called the lawsuits a “money grab” on Wednesday at Suns media day.

The franchise have been sued multiple times since 2024. Most recently, two minority owners of the Suns sued Ishbia in August, demanding to see records in order to investigate the status of the team’s business and financial condition.

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“As you guys know, anyone can file a lawsuit on any day they want for any reason they want,” Ishbia said. “I could file a lawsuit for that question, right? But the truth is, you’ve actually got to win a lawsuit.

“Where I’m different than most successful people, or people that you say have a lot of money, is we don’t settle. So if we don’t do anything wrong, I’m not paying someone. If their threat is they’re going to go to the media and write [about] a lawsuit, have fun. Cool. Write it.”

Ishbia continued: “I hope you guys all report on how many lawsuits we actually lose. Because we haven’t lost one of them, and we’re not going to lose any of them, to be honest, because they’re ridiculous.”

Among the lawsuits the team is facing:

In July, the Suns confirmed they fired Gene Traylor, a former security manager who filed a lawsuit against the team in May alleging discrimination, harassment and unlawful retaliation. The team said at the time that Traylor was terminated after an outside investigation found he’d violated company policies regarding confidential information.

Earlier in July, former Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging unequal treatment based on race and gender, unequal pay based on race and that her employment was terminated in retaliation for complaints about unequal treatment.

In November, Andrea Trischan sued the Suns, alleging racial discrimination and unlawful retaliation that led to her termination. Trischan was the team’s former manager of diversity, equity and inclusion for about 10 months in 2022 and 2023.

Ishbia, a mortgage executive, bought a majority stake of the Suns and Phoenix Mercury from embattled owner Robert Sarver for $4 billion. Ishbia and his brother, Justin, said then that they would be acquiring more than 50% of the franchises, which includes the entirety of Sarver’s share as well as some holdings from minority partners.

The sale was officially approved in February 2023.

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An owner can make or break a professional sports franchise, so having a good one can make all the difference to team success. After years of tumultuous ownership under a previous regime, the Ottawa Senators have changed the script on an off the ice in just two years under Michael Andlauer.

In that short amount of time, the Senators have gone from a franchise mired in a long playoff drought, without plans for a new downtown arena, and not spending to the salary cap, to one with a much rosier outlook. These days, Ottawa is optimistic for playoff success and getting investment in all facets of the organization.

Andlauer is often swept to the side of the Canadian Tire Centre’s corridors, chatting to fans about the NHL team and their experience. He wants to listen to them. Andlauer goes to every home game and proclaims to be a fan himself.

He also happens to be the owner overseeing all the challenges, hopes, and dreams.

On the two-year anniversary of buying the Senators, Andlauer reflected on his tenure and the future of the Senators in an interview with Sportsnet.ca.Â

(This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)

SN: How do you reflect on your last two years as Senators owner?

Michael Andlauer: It’s crazy. Like wow, we’ve done a lot in two years.

As Thomas Edison said, if there is a better way to do it, find it. I’m always looking at finding a better way and for continuous improvement. And then you just benchmark yourself on the previous year, and you look back, okay, what did we look like a year ago? How were our fans? What do they think about our team, the confidence, the product that we offered on and off the ice in the community?

I went to the Sensplex yesterday. The intensity that I saw in this training camp is amazing. Itâ€s my third (training camp). I went to my first one and they went from a bunch of puppies, not knowing where they’re going, to now, all of a sudden, they’re well trained and theyâ€re focused at the task at hand.

SN: What are some things you have learned as an owner?

MA: The Quebec City press conference and the mascot. It was never intended to be disrespectful toward Ottawa fans in any way, shape or form, but I understand why they reacted that way. I should have been more conscious about what they had gone through in the history of this hockey club. But it was always with good intentions.

SN: What are you proud of that youâ€ve achieved so far as the owner?

MA: Oh gosh, it’s still a process. If the fans are proud of their hockey club, then I’m proud of accomplishing that. I think, to me, it’s that people are proud to be Ottawa Senators fans. But like I said itâ€s a process. Hoisting a Stanley Cup would be a proud moment, but I think creating a brand that people are proud of and that is sustainable for the long term.â€

SN: What did you learn from your time as a minority owner in Montreal?

MA: Respect for alumni was one of the things that stood out the most. Bringing Alfie back was the first order of the day. Great move. Also, I don’t like seeing Montreal fans in our house. This is becoming a rivalry which I am appreciating a lot more. When you think about the rivalry between the Nordiques and the Canadiens, if we can be like the Nordiques, we’re always the underdogs, too. We are the underdogs in this market. And if we can play that role for Quebeckers who don’t want to be Montreal Canadiens fans, I love it even more.

SN: Whatâ€s it like going from obscurity to becoming a public figure as majority owner of the Senators?

MA: Just about two hours ago, somebody yelled ‘Hey, Michael, arenâ€t you going to the game?’ And I’m like, that’s so cool that somebody can call me Michael in the middle of walking my dog. And I feel close. I don’t need security like some other owners. I just love this city.

SN:How much do you feel like a fan when you are watching your team play?

MA: Oh, man, we’re not doing this interview during a game are we. I’m pretty antisocial during a game.

SN: How much untapped potential and profit is there to be made with the Senators?

MA: Profit is not a word that is common for small market teams. It’s really a passion, but it’s got to be sustainable. There’s a balance, and that’s why the Gatineau market that is 300,000 people in that area is an important market for the success of this hockey club. In my opinion, it makes total sense. That’s why the (downtown) arena has so much momentum and potential impact for the future of this hockey club. This is a great venue (the Canadian Tire Centre). You can always continue to upgrade this venue, but I think we deserve better as a community.

SN: What would a new downtown arena provide to the team?Â

MA: (A downtown arena) has so much to offer, not even about the hockey club, but just from the community standpoint, entertainment and access. I’m so sick and tired of hearing (the Canadian Tire Centre) is so far away from me. Having lived in Montreal and Toronto and the traffic, it takes longer to get to the games in Toronto or Montreal than it does in Ottawa. But there’s little to do before and after the end (of games). (The arena) has to become a destination.Â

SN: How do you plan to pay for an arena at LeBreton Flats?

MA: I see it as a collaborative effort. First of all, I don’t consider it my arena. It’s our arena, it’s our entertainment district. It is something that is there for not just hockey fans, right? With the LRT stations, it will be more enticing with hotels and the restaurants and it will just ignite the city, and Gatineau for that matter.

I just came back from Atlanta. I was in Atlanta for business and I took the time to go and meet with the president of the Atlanta Braves and go see The Battery, the entertainment facility, which they’re pretty much at the forefront of entertainment facilities. It is amazing. There are more people, I think there are nine million people that go through that entertainment district a year. And one feeds off the other.

SN: How confident are you that there will be an arena in LeBreton Flats at some point?

MA: I wouldn’t be spending millions of dollars, which I already have, in prepping for this, if I wasn’t confident. But to answer your question, who’s going to pay for it? This is a collaborative effort. And if people don’t want to pay for it, that’s okay. I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is and do my part, and then some.

I’m just a catalyst to making something special happen. That’s the way I look at it. Like I said, I don’t need to own it. I think it belongs to the city in many respects. I think this hockey club belongs to the city. I said that at the outset, right? I’m just the caretaker, the custodian.

SN: How hopeful are you that the league will reduce its punishment that forces the Senators to lose a first-round pick in 2026 for the Evgenii Dadonov no-trade list confusion?Â

MA: The consensus seems that itâ€s a harsher penalty than it deserved, but at the end of the day, you got to respect the decision. That’s the way I look at it. It would be a great message for our city to show that we’re doing the right thing. We would have to earn that right.

Have you looked at what happened with the Devils when they lost a first-round pick for the Ilya Kovalchuk contract which later was reduced to the last pick in the first round?

There might be some precedent set, but it may not be the same thing exactly at the end of the day. It was in the due diligence material (when buying the Senators), and I would suggest that I was guided in the wrong way. But I rather not talk about it, because I think all it does is upsets the NHL.

SN:What are your thoughts on the Ridly Greig bobblehead night, as it was your favourite moment of your first year?

MA: I think it’s a bit of overkill. Personally, I feel for the player because of that, because you in the media have made so much of this bobblehead. But the reality is that was a statement.

It was a highlight of my first year, because as I was learning, I learned that a lot of Toronto fans come to our games, and we should have home ice advantage when we play. And I think we proved that in the playoffs. We changed the dynamics.

After that game (where Greig scored an empty netter), and all the Leafs fans went home after that slap shot, it was like an exclamation mark to say: ‘This is our house.’

SN: What are your thoughts on the Senators letting go of Alex Formenton?

MA: Steve said it exactly the right way. He’s a good hockey player who I’m sure feels a lot of remorse. And I think it’s time for a fresh start.

SN:How involved are you in hockey decisions with the Ottawa Senators?

MA: I made it very clear, I don’t make those decisions. I am involved. I’m in the know. I speak to Steve (Staios) every single day. I play devilâ€s advocate. I bring in a different approach. I like to listen. I’m in touch with a lot of people on and off the ice in the league, so my ability to listen is the information that perhaps will allow us to arm Steve to make all the right decisions. Iâ€ll support him by giving him all the tools, the staff — whether it be analytics staff or experience like a Dave Poulin — and the wherewithal.

SN: How close to the salary cap will you spend in the coming years, as it is projected to rise quickly in the next few years?Â

MA: One of the things that was lacking when I took over the club was a Belleville team that did not have any vision from a development standpoint, and hadn’t made the playoffs. So, drafting right (and) developing better is so important, especially with entry-level contracts the way they are. Even in the new CBA, you can get a lot greater value by making sure we develop right. So, with respect to the hockey club, that’s an area I want to give Steve all the tools possible, including the dollars that are spent. Being a small market team is not easy. But this is not a business for me to make money. It’s a passion, and that’s that. I’m aligned with the fans when it comes to that.

SN: How often do you think about winning a Stanley Cup?

MA: All the time. It’s a process, though. It’s not going to happen overnight, and you need some lady luck. And right now, (Andlauer knocks on wood) we got it.

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