The Ottawa Senators announced late Monday night that owner Eugene Melnyk has passed away. He was 62 years old.
Initial reports indicated only that he had been battling a lengthy illness for some time now. Melnyk previously received a liver transplant back in 2015, however the public was not made aware of any particular medical issues in recent months.
In a statement posted to the team website, the Melnyk family posted a statement that read “It is with great sadness that the family of Eugene Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators hockey organization announce his passing on March 28, 2022 after an illness he faced with determination and courage.”
“Loving father to Anna and Olivia, Eugene was a devoted son to Vera and the late Dr. Ferdinand Melnyk, a caring brother to Lydia and a loving companion to Sharilyne. The businessman, sports franchise owner and philanthropist died peacefully surrounded by his family and will be fondly remembered by his many friends and associates.”
Melnyk purchased the Ottawa Senators, along with their arena on August 26th, 2003 for $92M.
This is a developing story.
Photo: US Embassy Canada. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.