Ottawa Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk Dead At 62

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has died from an illness, the NHL team announced on Monday night. He was just 62 years old.

According to the hockey club, Melnyk passed away following a battle with an undisclosed disease. The team noted he fought the illness "with determination and courage."

Melnyk -- a billionaire who made his fortune, in part, in the pharmaceutical and medical sales industry -- bought the Senators back in 2003 for $92 million ... and quickly found success.

The team made the Stanley Cup Final in 2007 -- and is now, according to Forbes, worth around half a billion dollars.

"While successful in business, it was our game and his Senators that he was most passionate about," NHL…