Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk needs to undergo liver transplant, otherwise he might die, said team doctor Don Chow. Now the team is making appeal to the public to help find a donor. According to the team, since January, Melnyk has dealt with many health issues. Three weeks ago, he was admitted to hospital.

His family is also making efforts to save his life by visiting his close friends and broader family so as to find someone who could be a ‘live liver donor’. However, so far, they have found no one. A portion of the living donor's liver is needed to be removed in a liver transplant so that it can be transplanted into the recipient patient.

In a press conference on Thursday, Senators president Cyril Leeder admitted that Melnyk has an extraordinarily well-known platform in his search for donors; however, a wide-ranging appeal was needed for the state of the owner’s health.

Leeder said Melnyk would stay in hospital until a new liver is found for transplant. According to Leeder, “We wouldn’t be making this public plea unless it was a very urgent and serious situation. He was very reluctant to go public — we had to convince him. Hopefully we’ll be able to bring some light on organ donation as part of this process”.

The team of doctors said Melnyk underwent a comprehensive medical assessment at the Toronto General Hospital in which it was found that a new liver was needed. On Thursday when the news regarding his grave condition broke and it was told that he needs a liver transplant, it led to a lot of concern regarding the matter among his supporters and others.