A trio of wealthy Quebecers is teaming up in a bid to buy the Montreal Canadiens, The Globe and Mail reported Thursday.
A consortium made up of pop star C�line Dion, Seagram heir Stephen Bronfman and Quebecor Inc. boss Pierre Karl P�ladeau is considering a joint bid, said the Globe, citing financial sources.
Majority owner George Gillett announced last month that he's reviewing all of his holdings, including the storied franchise. He owns the team as well as the Bell Centre.
"There is a group bid being discussed, and it's clear that Gillett is very willing to sell if the price is right," an investment banker, who is helping line up financing for potential bidders, told the Globe.
Clashing personalities?
Dion and husband Ren� Angelil have made millions off of Dion's pop albums, Las Vegas shows and other ventures. Bronfman runs Claridge Investments and stands to inherit his multi-billion-dollar family empire. Peladeau's Quebecor conglomerate is the dominant player in Quebec media, with properties including Le Journal de Montreal and the TVA television network.
This trio of potential buyers is said to be contemplating a dedicated pay-TV channel in Quebec that would carry Habs games and other hockey-related content as one way to increase revenues from the team.
Gillett, 70, hired investment bank BMO Nesbitt Burns to weigh options for the Canadiens earlier this year, amidst a brutal economic downturn.
The NHL franchise, which has won 24 Stanley Cups, was recently valued at $335 million by Forbes magazine.
With files from the Globe and Mail
