Ottawa Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk Passes Away at Age 62

Eugene Melnyk, the long-time owner of the Ottawa Senators died on Monday night at the age of 62. The Senators released a statement mentioning that Melnyk died from ‘an illness he faced with determination and courage.’ NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement on Tuesday morning honoring Melnyk.

“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk,” Bettman said in a statement. “The words ‘passion’ and ‘commitment’ define the man who has owned the Ottawa Senators since 2003.

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. https://t.co/MrHsTvu7sz pic.twitter.com/DOZrJcD26e

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 29, 2022

Eugene Melnyk, Senators Owner, Passes Away at Age 62

Eugene Melnyk owned the Ottawa Senators since 2003 when he bought the club for $92 million dollars. The Senators reached the Stanley Cup finals in 2007, losing in five games to the Anaheim Ducks. In 2017, the Senators advanced to the Eastern Conference finals and took the Pittsburgh Penguins all the way to seven games, losing to the Penguins in double overtime, with the Penguins advancing to win the Stanley Cup.
Melnyk was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1959, the son of Ferdinand and Verna Melnyk, who were both from Ukraine. Melnyk was a Canadian citizen, a long-time Ottawa resident, and also held residence in the country of Barbados.  In 2015, Eugene Melnyk was hospitalized with end-stage liver failure. Melnyk had a life-saving liver transplant at Toronto General Hospital in May of 2015, after a successful public campaign for a live liver donor.

Melnyk was also a staple in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing as a breeder and was twice named Canada’s top thoroughbred owner. In 1998, Melnyk’s horse Archers Bay captured the Queen’s Plate and the Prince of Wales Stakes and was named Canada’s top three-year-old male that year. In 2017, Melnyk was honored for his achievement in horse racing and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

The Ottawa Senators franchise for now will remain under the ownership of the Estate of Eugene Melnyk. Eugene Melnyk is survived by his two daughters, Anna and Olivia.