Ryan Reynolds meets with Ottawa mayor amid Sens purchase buzz

Canadian-born Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds — one of the more prominent suitors reported to be interested in purchasing of the Ottawa Senators — is in the capital.

On Thursday morning, Reynolds posted an Instagram story captioned "Ottawa friends" and accompanied by a Canadian flag.

The photo showed him with his arm around the shoulders of Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, standing in front of the City of Ottawa crest.

Chris Bratty, president of The Remington Group — the Toronto real estate company with whom Reynolds is reportedly teaming up to bid for the Senators — is also pictured with Reynolds and Sutcliffe. 

City officials confirmed to CBC that Reynolds met with the mayor at about 9:30 a.m. ET.

Reynolds' visit comes not long after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman visited the city on Monday. 

Bettman told reporters there are "somewhere around six" groups vying to purchase the team, and said the new owner will likely be announced by "early mid-summer." New York investment bankers Galatioto Sports Partners are overseeing the sales process. 

Toronto billionaire and minority Montreal Canadiens owner Michaal Andlauer has put in a bid, as have the Kimel brothers of Harlo Capital, according to both CBC sources and other news outlets. 

Like Andlauer, Jeffrey Kimel is already involved in the NHL as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins management committee.

According to The Athletic, Los Angeles-based AI entrepreneur Neko Sparks is preparing a bid, and even retweeted a post by that publication about his interest in the Senators.

The Senators are hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday evening.