Lionbackers.com

On the Lions, Ambrosie said that the team’s owner, David Braley and the Lions’ president, Rick LeLacheur, have asked for the commissioner’s participation in the process of finding new ownership for the team.

“I’ve had a chance to meet some remarkable people who are interested in owning the team,” Ambrosie said.

“Those conversations are ongoing and I’ve had follow up discussions with a number of them.”

Ambrosie acknowledged that the on-field success the Alouettes have had this year has helped in the process of finding new ownership for that team. Their Eastern Semi Final appearance was a near sellout and the team was revitalized this year by head coach Khari Jones and the emergence of quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.

He said that he’s working with a group that would prefer privacy until the deal is finalized, calling them the Montreal Alouettes Ownership Group.

“I come from the investment industry where I spent…almost three decades and I know that these transactions take time,” Ambrosie said, noting that there have been conversations with strong candidates going back to May.

“I would confess that I would have liked to have gotten this done sooner,” the commissioner said.

“We are very encouraged, very optimistic that the conversation we’re in today is going to yield a successful outcome and get down to those last steps in the process. There’s lots of i’s to be dotted and T’s to cross.

“I can’t commit to a timeframe. I can’t commit to a date but what I can say is I am very optimistic that the group we are in active discussions with today are deeply committed. They’re a remarkably strong group. They would bring a whole host of capabilities to an ownership situation in Montreal.

“I don’t know the answer specifically. What I can tell you is there’s an amazing commitment being made by the Canadian Football League to getting this done and an equal commitment by the groups that we’re in discussions with. That process continues and I hope to have a successful announcement sometime in the next few weeks.”