Lexpert Financial
Home > Deal Display
Montreal Canadiens and Molson Centre Acquisition
Amount: 140.0M
Date Closed: Jul 25 2001
Published in Magazine: Oct 01 2001
ADVERTISEMENT
On July 25, 2001, George N. Gillett, Jr. and partners, acting through a Quebec limited partnership and an Ontario corporation, completed the acquisition from Molson Inc. of an 80.1 per cent interest in the Montreal Canadiens NHL franchise and a 100 per cent ownership interest (as emphyteutic lessee) in the Molson Centre.

Secured financing of $140 million was provided by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, as syndication agent, National Bank of Canada, as administrative agent, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, National Bank of Canada, Laurentian Bank of Canada, and Caisse centrale Desjardins, as lenders.

Molson Inc., as a vendor and minority shareholder of the Montreal Canadiens NHL franchise, was represented by a team led by Molson Inc.’s Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Marie Giguère, assisted by Thomas R.M. Davis, J. Robert Doyle, Robert B. Schubert (real estate), Martin-Pierre Boulianne (business) and Jerald M. Wortsman (tax) of McCarthy Tétrault LLP. The purchasers were represented by Pierre Raymond, Viateur Chénard (real estate), José Gravel, France Margaret Bélanger and Caroline Boutin of Stikeman Elliott (Montreal) and Ron Durand (tax) of the Toronto office, as Canadian counsel, and by Bruce A. Toth, Greg J. Bynan and John G. Kalyvas of Winston & Strawn (Chicago), as US counsel. The National Hockey League was represented by Covington & Burling (Washington).

The agents and the syndicate of lenders were represented by Paul Raymond, Charles J. Boivin, Jules Charette (tax), Mario M. Caron (real estate), Jane Bogaty, Miguel Manzano (real estate), Sébastien Gingras (tax), François Courteau and Alain Richard of Ogilvy Renault (Montreal), as Canadian counsel, and by John Bonacum and Justin H. Wertman of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius (New York), as US counsel, assisted by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec’s in-house counsel, Robert Côté.
Lawyers
Thomas R.M. (Tam) Davis
J. Robert Doyle
Robert B. Schubert
Martin-Pierre Boulianne
Jerald M. Wortsman
Pierre A. Raymond
Viateur Chénard
Josée Gravel
France Margaret Bélanger
Caroline Boutin
Ronald K. Durand
Bruce A. Toth
Gregory J. Bynan
John G. Kalyvas
Paul Raymond
Charles J. Boivin
Jules Charette
Mario M. Caron
Jane Bogaty
Miguel Manzano
Sébastien Gingras
François Courteau
Alain Ricard
John Bonacum, III
Justin H. Wertman
Corporate Counsel
Marie Giguère
Robert Côté
Law Firms
McCarthy Tétrault LLP (Montréal, QC)
McCarthy Tétrault LLP (Toronto, ON)
Stikeman Elliott LLP (Montréal, QC)
Stikeman Elliott LLP (Toronto, ON)
Winston & Strawn LLP (Chicago, IL)
Winston & Strawn (New York City, NY)
Covington & Burling LLP (Washington, DC)
Ogilvy Renault LLP (Montréal, QC)
Financial Intermediaries
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (Montréal, QC)
National Bank of Canada (Montréal, QC)
Laurentian Bank Of Canada (Montréal, QC)
Caisse Centrale Desjardins du Québec (Montréal, QC)
Legal Parties
Molson Coors Canada (Montréal, QC)
Montreal Canadiens (Montréal, QC)
Molson Centre (Montréal, QC)
National Hockey League Players’ Association (Toronto, ON)
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP (New York City, NY)
Lawyers who are also ranked in the Lexpert Directory are displayed in green.