BC Business
The Whitecaps' ownership group announced that the club is for sale on Friday morning
It’s been a long journey for Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and Steve Nash, the owners of the Vancouver Whitecaps. The group took control of the team in 2008 and were awarded an MLS franchise in 2009 for $30 million. Kerfoot in particular has been part of the club since 2002.
Today, the club put out a statement saying that the foursome would be selling the team and has retained Goldman Sachs in a bid to find a buyer. The group is poised to make a handsome profit, as Forbes recently valued the Whitecaps at $420 million, even as it reported that the company lost money in 2023.
The team has had some success on the pitch of late too, winning Canadian championships and coming close to beating the top-seeded LA Galaxy in the playoffs. Though the Whitecaps did fire popular coach Vanni Sartini a few weeks ago in a move that might make a bit more sense given today’s news.
The team made a huge leap this year in terms of attendance, but much of that may be explained by the infamous sold-out game against Inter Miami. There’s also the issue of BC Place itself, which isn’t exactly purpose-built to host soccer games. The next ownership group may have to grapple with the prospect of a new stadium.
It all begs the obvious question: Who might buy the team?
We put our thinking caps (yes that’s a pun) on and put together a list that is mostly in jest, but if any of these come true, you best believe I’m going to be looking for a finders’ fee. Let’s get to it, divided by tiers on how likely each of these scenarios are.
Ryan Reynolds
He already owns a soccer team. He was one of the potential buyers of the Ottawa Senators a couple years ago. It’s almost too obvious. And yes, fans have already started tagging him on the Caps’ Instagram page. One wonders that even if Reynolds isn’t the main force behind the purchase that the new ownership group brings him in for some sort of public-facing role.
The Aquilinis
I mean, they have two pro sports franchise one building over. And Italians like soccer, right? What’s a third?
Amar Doman
Speaking of which, Doman’s Lions literally occupy the same building. He would likely be celebrated if he did decide to take on the rather massive costs that would be coming his way, given what he’s done with the Lions.
A faceless American investment group
The owners of the Whtiecaps haven’t ever really been the face of the team. After the firing of Vanni Sartini that role rests somewhere between club liaison and permanent Whitecaps fixture Bobby Lenarduzzi and CEO Axel Schuster. Thought a prominent B.C. businessperson, Kerfoot has been known to keep away from the spotlight and Nash doesn’t live here.
So it wouldn’t be a shock if a largely anonymous investment group took control of the franchise (like with the Vancouver Canadians) and let Lenarduzzi and Schuster run the show (at least for a bit).
Ryan Beedie
Real estate mogul and philanthropist Beedie famously was very close to purchasing a stake in the Canucks several years ago (as chronicled in Ed Willes’ excellent new book, Never Boring: The Up and Down History of the Vancouver Canucks). Would he be willing to step into the ring again given how the last attempt ended? His partner in that endeavour, Tom Gaglardi, might also be interested in adding to a portfolio that includes the Dallas Stars and Kamloops Blazers but doesn’t have any Vancouver sports teams.
Darren Entwistle
The Telus executive is one of the more powerful people in the province. And he has an affinity for the Whitecaps. In 2023, Telus even replaced Bell as the Caps’ official jersey sponsor and will keep that title through at least 2027. Wait a second. This is going to happen isn’t it? Make the call, Darren.
David Suzuki
The Whitecaps already have a nature-inspired name. Suzuki and a conglomerate of environmental leaders purchase the club and BC Place is reimagined as Suzuki and Friends’ Zero-Waste Dome. The team’s slogan? “We take out the trash.” Okay, we should have stopped with Entwistle, this is bad.