Snoop Dogg said in an Instagram post on May 1st that he was “looking forward” to being part of a bid to buy the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators, and now the Long Beach rapper has confirmed that his interest in the team is “no joke.”
“This ain’t no joke or no gimmick. Or an image or likeness play,” Snoop told The Athletic in a recent interview. “This is a real ownership play. And Snoop will put his foot in the town.”
When asked why he was interested in Ottawa rather than an American city like Atlanta or Houston, Snoop explained, “I want Ottawa because Ottawa wants me. It’s a thriving city. The team is going to make a U-turn once we get ownership. The players are inspired. The community is inspired. I felt like this is what Ottawa needs.”
Snoop also feels a connection to Ottawa: After being gifted a Ray Emery jersey by the late Senators goalie prior to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, he headlined Ottawa Bluesfest in 2014 while wearing a throwback “O” jersey.
“Every time I’ve come through the city, they’ve rolled out the red carpet for me,” he said. “Everywhere I go in Canada, it’s always been love, but there’s something about Ottawa. And the opportunity for the team to be bought? It’s impeccable timing right now.”
Longtime Snoop Dogg fans may remember him wearing a throwback Penguins jersey in his “Gin and Juice” video, but he was an NHL fan long before that. Growing up in LA, he watched Marcel Dionne play for the Kings at the Forum in the 1980s. Now, he has a chance to be hands-on with growing the sport’s visibility beyond performing at the 2017 All-Star Game.
As part of Los Angeles-based businessman Neko Sparks’ effort to become the second Black owner in the NHL, Snoop’s primary aim is to make hockey more accessible in underrepresented communities.
Sparks and Snoop will be going up against Ryan Reynolds and Remington Group’s reported $1 billion bid for the Senators.
Regardless of whether their bid is successful, Snoop has a busy summer up ahead. After being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he will perform a pair of LA concerts in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Doggystyle. Then, he’ll head out on a massive joint tour with Wiz Khalifa. Tickets to all of Snoop’s upcoming shows are available through StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program.
