“Illness faced with determination and courage” – Senator states as owner Eugene Melnyk passes away
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Eugene Melnyk
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk passes away on Monday night. The news was made public on March 28, 2022, though the cause was not disclosed immediately. Though the team did not provide any specifics of his illness, it was a known fact that Melnyk underwent a liver transplant and arranged campaigns to find a living donor.
“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,” the team said in a statement. “Eugene never wavered in his desire and commitment to bring the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s Statement of Melkyn’s Passing Away
In the wake of Melnyk’s passing away, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman noted in a statement that,
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. The words ‘passion’ and ‘commitment’ define the man who has owned the Ottawa Senators since 2003.”
Gary Bettman further noted that Melnyk “cared deeply about the game, about his team and about bettering the lives of those in need, particularly underserved children, organ donation and, most recently, with his commitment to his parents’ home country of Ukraine.”
Bettman extended his tributes to Melkyn’s family, “On behalf of the entire National Hockey League, I extend my deepest sympathies to Eugene’s daughters, Anna and Olivia, his extended family, and all those who benefited from his generosity.”
A Toronto native, Eugene Melnyk has owned the Ottawa Senators for $92 million, since 2003. And in 2007, Ottawa Senators seized the Stanley Cup before losing 5 games to the Anaheim Ducks.
Though there have been remarks of a potential change in ownership of the Senators in 2018, Melkyn backed that he had no such thoughts of selling the franchise. Bettman said,
“Eugene was often outspoken but he maintained an unwavering commitment to the game and his roots and he loved nothing more than donning a Senators sweater and cheering on his beloved team.”
Eugene Melnyk is survived by his two daughters, Anna and Olivia.
A lot of people, including NHL teams, players, public figures connected to the NHL, including Senators captain Brady Tkachuk shared their grief on Melkyn’s death on social media platforms.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
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