Eugene Melnyk Former owner of the Ottawa Senators of the NHL

Remembering Eugene Melnyk: A Hockey and Horseman’s Legacy

On my walk through Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto, with a few hockey pucks in hand, I discovered the grave of the late Eugene Melnyk.

Eugene was a graduate of St. Michael’s College School in Toronto and likely absorbed much from his father, Dr. Ferdinand Melnyk, a respected physician at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in the city’s west end.

In 1989, Eugene founded Biovail Corporation, a pharmaceutical company specializing in drug manufacturing. With its rapid success, he built a fortune — and never strayed far from his first passion: hockey. Fittingly, he purchased the St. Michael’s Majors, a junior hockey team that played in the same rink where he laced up his skates as a student.

In 2003, with the Ottawa Senators facing bankruptcy and an uncertain future, Melnyk stepped in. He bought the team for US$92 million, rescuing the franchise and ensuring its survival in Canada’s capital. According to Forbes, that same franchise is now valued at over $800 million.

Hockey wasn’t his only love. Eugene had a deep passion for horse racing. He was named Canada’s Outstanding Breeder twice and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.

He also wore many hats: honorary colonel of No. 414 Squadron, RCAF; owner of Bert’s Bar in Barbados; devoted philanthropist; proud Ukrainian; and above all, a family man.

Canada lost Eugene Melnyk on March 28, 2022. He was only 62.

His name has not yet been inscribed on the family grave. I left three pucks in tribute — one for the Ottawa Senators, one for the St. Mike’s Majors, and one for the Belleville Senators of the AHL.

1955-2006

A return visit with Eugene’s name now inscribed.