Tuesday night’s matchup between the Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre holds special significance for Michael Andlauer, marking the first meeting in Montreal since he acquired the Senators for a record-breaking US$950 million in September. As a self-made billionaire and a devoted Canadiens fan hailing from Montreal, Andlauer’s transition to Senators ownership required him to sell his 10% stake in the Canadiens. The Molson family, led by Canadiens owner Geoff Molson, exercised their first-right option to purchase Andlauer’s share for a reported record enterprise value of US$2.5 billion.
During the game, Andlauer and Molson are anticipated to sit in the seats once owned by the Senators’ new owner when he held season tickets as part of the Canadiens’ ownership group. Andlauer relinquished these tickets upon completing the sale of his minority share in the Canadiens. This significant exchange emphasizes the interconnectedness of Andlauer’s personal hockey history with the Canadiens and his new role as the Senators’ owner.
Notably, Geoff Molson, as part of a group, had previously acquired the Canadiens from George Gillett Jr. in 2009 for a reported sum of $575 million, setting a record for the highest NHL franchise purchase at the time. Forbes’ recent valuation places the Canadiens as the third-most valuable NHL team at US$2.3 billion, following the Toronto Maple Leafs at US$2.8 billion and the New York Rangers at US$2.65 billion. The Senators rank 24th on the Forbes list with an estimated value of US$950 million, while the Arizona Coyotes hold the least valuable position at US$500 million.
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