Bidding begins for hockey’s most storied franchise; Molson boys and Quebecor Media lead pack
At least two bids for the Montreal Canadiens are on the table this morning and—depending on who you read—there may be as many as six before all is said and done. Both Quebecor Media and members of the Molson family have confirmed that they’ve made offers to George Gillett, the team’s American owner, who is thought to be seeking more than $400 million for his stake in the club and the Bell Centre, where it plays. La Presse reports that a third bid originating in the U.S. landed yesterday, but it’s not clear who’s behind it. Graeme Roustan, owner of Bauer Hockey and a native of Sherbrooke, Que. has been linked to bid rumours, and he now works out of the States. For now, though, it’s looking more and more like a contest of Canadian entertainment and business icons. The Quebecor offer is backed by Céline Dion and her husband-manager René Angelil, while the Molson bid is thought to have the backing of communications and media giant BCE, whose broadcast interests in Quebec would suffer if Quebecor got control of the team.