Eugene Melnyk, the owner of the Belleville Senators and the Ottawa Senators has died.
The Senators made the announcement Monday night. They say he passed following an illness he faced with determination and courage.
The team says Eugene never wavered in his desire and commitment to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital.
Melnyk, a Toronto native, has owned the Senators since 2003. In 2007, Ottawa reached the Stanley Cup final before losing in five games to the Anaheim Ducks.
Melnyk purchased the Senators and Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa after reaching a deal with creditors. He also was a former owner of the St. Michael’s Majors of the Ontario Hockey League.
Eugene Melnyk moved the Binghamton Senators to Belleville in 2016 and the team began playing at the renovated Yardmen Arena in 2017-18.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, “The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Eugene Melnyk. The words ‘passion’ and ‘commitment’ define the man who has owned the Senators since 2003.”
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said, “Mr. Melnyk provided me, my teammates, and many Sens players who came before us with an opportunity to live out our dream.”
The Senators appeared in the NHL playoffs nine times during Melnyk’s ownership tenure. But Ottawa hasn’t reached the post-season since 2017 when it lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins four games to three in the Eastern Conference final.
Melnyk was the owner, governor and chairman of the Senators and Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League. He was also the founder and former chairman of Biovail Corporation, once Canada’s largest pharmaceutical company.
More recently, he was chairman and chief executive of Neurolign, a fledgling medical device company and chairman of Clean Beauty Collective, a boutique company that produces ethically sourced products.
He was also an Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Armed Forces.
“Eugene supported the military and honoured Canada’s Armed Forces regularly during Senators’ hockey games,” said the Senators’ statement. “He visited the troops in Afghanistan, delivering hockey equipment and souvenirs, and served as Honorary Colonel of the 414 (EWS) Squadron from 2014 to 2019.”
With Melnyk’s assistance, the Senators Community Foundation invested over $100 million to support local charities in the Ottawa area and the Bay of Quinte community. He was the lead donor of Anna House, a childcare facility in Belmont, N.Y., and Roger Nielson House, a pediatric palliative care facility in Ottawa named after the former Senators coach.
Partial information above supplied by the Canadian Press and the Ottawa Senators
A statement from the Senators organization is below
Ottawa Senators AHL’s affiliate inks deal with the City of Belleville on September 26, 2016 (l-r) former Belleville Director of Recreation Mark Fluhrer, former Belleville Mayor Taso Christopher, Eugene Melnyk and former Ottawa Senators Assistant General Manager Randy Lee. (Photo: Quinte News)
—-
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.
Eugene was a proud Canadian, born May 27, 1959 to parents from Ukraine. His motto was “Carpe Diem”, an adage he enthusiastically embraced during his life. A passionate hockey fan, Eugene was the owner, governor and chairman of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators, the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League and previously the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors of the Ontario Hockey League. He was founder and former chairman of Biovail Corp., once the largest pharmaceutical company in Canada. More recently, he was chairman and chief executive of Neurolign, a fledgling medical device company and chairman of Clean Beauty Collective, a boutique company that produces ethically sourced products. He was also an Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Armed Forces and a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Eugene’s love of hockey led him to establish Capital Sports & Entertainment in 2003, which owns and operates the NHL’s Ottawa Senators hockey club. The company and its affiliates also own and operate the Canadian Tire Centre arena and manage Sensplex properties in Ottawa. Eugene never wavered in his desire and commitment to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital. Under his ownership, the Senators played in the 2007 Stanley Cup finals and the Conference Finals in 2017. Eugene was confident the current team of talented players and coaching staff that he and his organization built will challenge for and eventually deliver on that championship promise.
He was also a successful horse racing breeder, twice named Canada’s Outstanding owner. His horses won many of the sport’s most coveted prizes, including the Canadian Triple Crown, the Travers Stakes in Saratoga and the Gold Cup in Barbados.
Eugene supported the military and honoured Canada’s Armed Forces regularly during Senators’ hockey games. He visited the troops in Afghanistan, delivering hockey equipment and souvenirs, and served as Honorary Colonel of the 414 (EWS) Squadron from 2014 to 2019.
Eugene was a man of faith and a practising Orthodox Catholic. A generous philanthropist, he supported numerous charitable causes, including St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Help Us Help the Children and St. Michael’s College School in Toronto, his alma mater. A resident of Barbados, Eugene founded Providence School for pre-kindergarten to Grade 10, where he served as chairman of trustees and the board of management.
Eugene championed initiatives through the Ottawa Senators and the Senators Community Foundation. The charitable organization invested more than $100-million to support local charities and community programs that help children and youth across the capital region. He was the lead donor of Anna House, a childcare facility in Belmont, New York and Roger Nielson House, a paediatric palliative care facility in Ottawa named after a beloved former coach. Each year, Eugene hosted Skate for Kids at the Canadian Tire Centre, where he donated hockey equipment and jerseys to hundreds of under served children.
Eugene’s family extends their sincere gratitude to the dedicated doctors and nurses who cared for him.
