Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux has had his eligibility to play in the NHL restored by the league, Sportsnet can confirm.
TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie first reported that Mailloux received approval to play in the NHL, ending speculation regarding Mailloux’s future in the league.
Mailloux can now play for the Canadiens if he makes the team out of training camp.
Commissioner Gary Bettman previously told reporters on June 3 that he was scheduled to meet with Mailloux after the Stanley Cup Final and that he would have final say on the prospect’s eligibility. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes told reporters on Aug. 15 that Mailloux had met with Bettman, and the team was awaiting word from the commissioner on his decision.
The Canadiens’ selection of Mailloux in the first round (31st overall) of the NHL Draft in 2021 received backlash because he had been convicted in Sweden in 2020 for sharing, without consent, a photo of a woman performing a sex act.
Prior to being chosen, Mailloux had said he didn’t deserve the honour or privilege of being an NHL draft pick and removed himself from the draft. His comments came after news emerged that — while playing in Sweden in late 2020 — he secretly photographed an 18-year-old woman who was engaged in a sexual act with him, and then shared the image with his teammates without her consent. Mailloux was charged under Swedish law with defamation and offensive photography, and fined the equivalent to $1,650.
The Canadiens’ decision to draft the defenceman was criticized by the hockey community, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in, saying the Canadiens “showed a lack of judgment.”
Montreal later announced Mailloux would not participate in the team’s rookie camp or the team’s main training camp in the first year he was eligible.
The woman Mailloux photographed told The Athletic just before Mailloux removed himself from the draft in 2021 that she did not think he “understood the seriousness of his behaviour,” and said that his apology amounted to “a text that was no longer than three sentences.”
Mailloux has expressed remorse and made public efforts to better himself in the years since his conviction. He participated in the Canadiens’ Respect and Consent Program, helmed by team vice-president of community engagement and Canadiens Foundation general manager Genevieve Paquette.
After being suspended by the OHL, Mailloux was eligible to play for the London Knights, appearing in 12 games during the 2021-22 season. The 20-year-old returned to London for the 2022-23 season, where he scored 25 goals and 53 points in 59 games before adding 24 points in 21 playoff games.
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