What Will Andlauer's Arrival as Senators Owner Mean for Pierre Dorion and D.J. Smith?

The new Senators owner arrives in Ottawa with a passion for hockey and strong connections around the NHL.

After six months of discussions, negotiations and grinding, it's almost hard to believe it may finally be over. 

According to Bruch Garrioch of Postmedia, representatives of Eugene Melnyk's estate have decided they're going to sell the franchise to Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer. The price tag is said to be around $1 billion, although it's not known yet if that includes covering the Melnyk estate's capital gains tax bill from the sale. 

Update 10:20am: Sens make it official:

Statement from Michael Andlauer:

"My family and I are very excited to be a part of the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club. I believe that the Senators' fanbase is one of the most passionate in the league and I'm excited to take the franchise's success both on and off the ice to the next level.

"The short and long-term future of the team is incredibly bright, and I look forward to getting to know the team, the fanbase and the community.

"First and foremost, thank you to my wife and family for their support. Thank you to both the NHL and the Melnyk family for providing me with the opportunity to make this dream a reality. Thank you also to my equity partners on the transaction, who like me are committed to bringing success to the National Capital Region. I would also like to thank my financial advisors at Bulldog Capital Partners."

Andlauer is a part owner of the Montreal Canadiens so he'll now have to unload what's believed to be a 20% share in the club. A massive hockey fan, Andlauer is expected to continue as owner of the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and insiders have suggested he will almost certainly be an involved NHL owner, providing input on hockey matters.

Now the immediate interest turns to the futures of GM Pierre Dorion and head coach D.J. Smith. As a part owner of a Senator rival, Andlauer would be more than familiar with what's gone on in Ottawa the past six seasons and would almost certainly have a strong opinion on it. 

There have already been suggestions Andlauer may eventually ask former NHLer Steve Staios to join him in Ottawa in some capacity. Staios was Andlauer's President and GM in Hamilton where they won two OHL titles together. Staios left last season to join the Edmonton Oilers front office and, assuming he left on good terms, would probably make the move to Ottawa in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, as a lifelong Habs' fan, there's also been speculation Andlauer may have serious interest in going after Patrick Roy as his head coach. Roy just won the Memorial Cup with the Quebec Remparts and has made it clear he has a desire to return to the NHL. Roy was a Sens coaching candidate back in 2019 before the Sens finally settled on Smith.

Depending on how long it takes to finalize the sale, not to mention his preferred bidder status to build a new rink downtown, Andlauer is going to have his hands full over the coming weeks and months. So hockey issues may be the farthest thing from his mind. Andlauer may simply opt for the status quo for now and let Dorion and Smith show him what they can do.

For now, after seven long months, Ottawa hockey fans are celebrating an end to the incessant ownership speculation, with hopes that Andlauer will invest in the operations of the franchise as freely as he did in its purchase.