A new name has moved to the front of the Whitecaps sale process, and it’s one Vancouver sports fans know well.
Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy reported on X Friday morning that former Canucks and Grizzlies owner Arthur Griffiths is heading a group that has submitted a formal offer to buy the Vancouver Whitecaps. The club has been on the market since late 2024, and there had been real concern earlier this year that a sale could open the door to relocation. That fear has eased in recent months, with optimism building that the Whitecaps can stay in Vancouver.
Murphy wrote: “Noted soccer guy here, I’ve been told that former Canucks owner Arthur Griffiths is heading a group that has put in a formal offer to purchase the @WhitecapsFC”
Griffiths, who lives in Yaletown, took full operational control of the Canucks in 1988. He later sold his remaining stake in late 1996 and 1997 after first joining the organization’s executive leadership in 1981.
His Vancouver sports résumé goes beyond hockey. Griffiths owned the Grizzlies for three years, was the man behind bringing the expansion team to town in 1994, and also played a major role in Vancouver being selected as host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
This is not the first time Griffiths’ name has surfaced in connection with the Whitecaps. In May, it was reported that the 69-year-old had interest in being part of the next ownership group. Friday’s update makes that interest look a lot more concrete.
What happens next is still unclear, but the offer adds another significant development to a sale that figures to keep producing news in the days and weeks ahead.
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