Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, 62, dies from illness

OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has died from an illness, the team said Monday night.

He was 62.

The team announced Melnyk's death with a statement from his family that mentioned «an illness he faced with determination and courage.'' The statement did not explain what the illness was, and a team spokesman did not immediately respond to a message seeking additional details.

Melnyk had a liver transplant in 2015 after a public campaign for a donor. He had owned the Senators since 2003, when he bought the NHL club for $92 million. The team made its only Stanley Cup Final appearance while under Melnyk's ownership, in 2007.

»The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. The words 'passion' and 'commitment' define the man who has owned the Ottawa Senators since 2003," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. «Whether it was in the boardroom with his fellow governors, at the rink with his beloved Senators or in the community with his philanthropy, he cared deeply about the game, about his team and about bettering the lives of those in need, particularly underserved children, organ donation and, most recently, with his commitment to his parents' home country of Ukraine.

»While successful in business, it was our game and his Senators that he was most passionate about. Eugene was often outspoken but he maintained an unwavering commitment to the game and his roots and he loved nothing more than donning a Senators sweater and cheering on his beloved team."

The Toronto native was involved in other businesses around Canada and in 2010 had an estimated net worth of $1.21 billion.

«Mr. Melnyk provided me, my teammates, and many Sens players who came before us with