Arthur Griffiths, the former owner of both the Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Grizzlies, is reportedly heading a group bidding to buy the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Canucks broadcaster Dan Murphy revealed on Friday that Griffiths is “heading a group that has put in a formal offer to purchase the [Whitecaps],” raising hopes for the club’s future.
The news has been warmly received by Whitecaps supporters, who have spent months pleading for new ownership to step in and secure the club’s long-term stability.
While no further details have emerged about the composition of the group or the specifics of the offer, Griffiths has been discussed as a potential buyer for some time.
The Griffiths family has deep roots in Vancouver sports, having purchased the Canucks back in 1974 before passing control from father Frank to Arthur following Frank’s death in 1994.
Arthur Griffiths had worked within the organisation since 1981, taking full operational control of the Canucks in 1988 before selling his remaining stake in late 1996 and 1997.
He sold the Canucks, the Grizzlies, and what was then GM Place to John McCaw in 1997, a decision driven largely by the weakness of the Canadian dollar at the time.
Griffiths was also instrumental in bringing the NBA’s Grizzlies expansion franchise to Vancouver in 1994, owning the team for a three-year period before their eventual relocation to Memphis.
Beyond professional sports ownership, Griffiths played a significant role in securing Vancouver’s bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, serving as chair of the successful Vancouver and Whistler bid committee.
When calls emerged in the mid-2010s for Griffiths to repurchase the Canucks from the Aquilini Group, he was candid about the financial reality, telling Business in Vancouver, “I sold at an all-time low price, so to buy the team back at an all-time high? I don’t think I could be counted as too bright if I did that.”
His return to the sports ownership conversation comes despite some personal legal complications, as Griffiths was recently required to pay $30,000 to the BC Securities Commission for security violations connected to a cannabis company he led.
Multiple sources have confirmed Griffiths has genuine interest in becoming part of the next ownership group for the Whitecaps, and the formal offer now appears to mark a significant step forward.
For Vancouver sports fans, the prospect of such a recognisable local figure returning to ownership represents a potentially transformative moment for Major League Soccer’s local franchise.
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