The NHL wants to ensure Ryan Reynolds is involved in the Ottawa Senators' new ownership group regardless of who ultimately wins the bidding.

Commissioner Gary Bettman and his deputy Bill Daly are making interested parties aware the league wants the actor to be a minority partner, Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reports. The NHL has told every group that signed a non-disclosure agreement before entering the process to contact Reynolds, Garrioch adds.

The NHL apparently envisions Reynolds documenting the sale of the club with his production company Maximum Effort, and league marketing executives admit they can't buy the kind of publicity he can generate.