The rumours are true, Ryan Reynolds wants to buy the Ottawa Senators.

Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon asked Reynolds directly if the Canadian movie star was interested in purchasing the NHL club. Reynolds was firm in his response on Monday night.

鈥淵es, that is true,鈥� said Reynolds, who is already co-owner of the Welsh soccer club Wrexham with fellow actor Rob McElhenney. 鈥淚 am trying to do that. It鈥檚 very expensive.

Added Reynolds with a laugh: 鈥淚 need a partner with really deep pockets.鈥�

Forbes magazine valued the Senators at US$525 million in December 2021, about four months before former owner Eugene Melnyk died.

Within months of Melnyk鈥檚 death the Senators were once again the preferred partner for a proposed arena project to build in Ottawa鈥檚 LeBreton Flats area, likely increasing the team鈥檚 value. The Senators previously looked at moving to LeBreton Flats, but the plan fell apart with Melnyk and his business partners suing each other.

The Melnyk estate has made it clear that the team will only be sold if the purchaser agrees to keep the team in Ottawa.

The star of the 鈥淒eadpool鈥� series of films addressed both the expense of buying an NHL team and keeping the team in Canada鈥檚 capital in his interview with Fallon.

Reynolds said he would have to be the face of a consortium to buy the Senators, which he said is 鈥渁 fancy way of saying I need a sugar mommy or a sugar daddy.鈥� Although he is from Vancouver, Reynolds also spoke of his fondness for the National Capital Region.

鈥淚 love Ottawa. I grew up in Vancouver, which has my heart always, but I also grew up in Ottawa,鈥� said Reynolds. 鈥淚 spent a long time in Vanier which is a little town right inside Ottawa.鈥�

Melnyk purchased the Senators in 2003 for US$92 million at a time when the franchise faced bankruptcy and a tenuous future in the nation鈥檚 capital.

The team鈥檚 day-to-day operations has been handled by the board of directors since Melnyk鈥檚 death.