Why owning the Ottawa Senators is a hot ticket for celebrities

Ryan Reynolds, Snoop Dogg and reportedly The Weeknd have created a star-powered bidding war in a quest to own the Ottawa Senators.

First, Canadian-born Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds made his interest widely known.

In the past week the music industry has jumped in with two recent Super Bowl performers: legendary rapper Snoop Dogg has joined one bid and Canadian recording artist The Weeknd reportedly joining another based on a report from Postmedia on Saturday.

Ottawa is not known for attracting entertainment star power. The spouses of two former Senators are likely the most famous to have been connected to the team — Mike Fisher's wife Carrie Underwood and Dion Phaneuf's wife Elisha Cuthbert.

Hilary Duff was also dating Mike Comrie when he played for Ottawa in the late 2000s.

The sudden interest is more a positive sign for the NHL, commissioner Gary Bettman told The Bob McCown Podcast last week.

"I actually think our franchises are going to become increasingly more valuable than they are now," he said, adding they have been undervalued up until this point.

"It should tell all the fans in Ottawa that this franchise is gonna have a very bright future right there in Ottawa … the nation's capital is generating a tremendous amount of interest for a prospective NHL owner."

The NHL does maintain it wants the process of the sale to remain out of the public eye to ensure fairness.

WATCH | Snoop Dogg tells ESPN about his interest in the Sens:

Not to burst the balloons of fans who believe their team has become the centrepiece of a celebrity bidding war, but at least one expert says it's not really about the city at all.

"They're not actually interested in the Ottawa Senators. They're interested in owning a professional sports