NHL issues statement after Canadiens call-up prospect Logan Mailloux
Following their overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they were calling up former first-round pick Logan Mailloux to the NHL.
Mailloux, for those who don't remember, was convicted of sharing an explicit photo without consent while playing in Sweden in 2020-21. He was charged by Swedish authorities and before the NHL Draft that June, he declared himself ineligible because he wanted to work on himself and prove to teams that he's worthy of being selected. Despite this, the Montreal Canadiens' old regime, led by Marc Bergevin, used their first round pick to select Mailloux.
Since being drafted, there's been plenty of talk on whether or not Mailloux should be allowed into the National Hockey League because of what he did and just before the start of the 2021-22 season, the OHL announced they were suspending him indefinitely. He was reinstated by the OHL later that season and went on to play for the London Knights until the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
On the morning of his NHL debut, the National Hockey League has announced they have cleared Mailloux to play after multiple meetings with him over the last eight-to-ten months. The NHL says they are satisfied with Mailloux's understanding of what he did wrong and they believe he will make better and more responsible decisions in the future.
On the ice, Mailloux has had a strong year for the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket in what is his first professional season. The 21-year-old has put up 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists), 89 penalty minutes and is a minus-seven in 70 games for the Rocket this season.
Mailloux is expected to make his NHL debut tonight as the Montreal Canadiens host the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre for their final game of the 2023-24 season.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the NHL made the right call to clear Mailloux? | ||
| Yes | 81 | 73 % |
| No | 30 | 27 % |
| List of polls | ||
