Ex-Senators prospect opens up about buying illegal drugs in the past, got help with support of SHL club
Earlier this summer, Swedish forward Viktor Lodin was not issued a qualifying offer by the Ottawa Senators and became an unrestricted free agent.
Instead of looking for another opportunity here in North America, the 24-year-old decided to return to Sweden and signed a two-year contract with SHL club IK Oskarshamn.
Last week, it was reported that an SHL player was under suspicion of purchasing illegal drugs on five different occasions. The information regarding an SHL player being involved was found after an investigation into the the person who sold the drugs.
On Friday, Lodin came forward and admitted that he was the player in question and got help with the support of his new SHL club.
Note: the quotes in this story are translated from Swedish
"I now hope to be able to look forward with positive feelings and that I can be a role model for other people who have gone through or are going through an addiction problem or for some other reason need a second chance and who take advantage of their new opportunity," Lodin said.
IK Oskarshamn club director Johan Goransson says that the team was informed of this information prior to signing Lodin and supported him as he went through treatment.
"The events in question lie in Viktor's previous problems, which IK Oskarshamn knew about when recruiting Viktor. Viktor has undergone treatment and together with IK Oskarshamn has entered into a collaboration where we have a plan that will ensure that Viktor will continue to be healthy and work for a positive future both as a person and as a hockey player. Both Viktor and the club agree on which rules and values apply in society and in IK Oskarshamn. Both parties are determined to live by these," Goransson said.
The Leksand native spent the entire 2022-23 season in the AHL with the Belleville Senators, putting up 15 points (six goals, nine assists), 34 penalty minutes and was a minus-four. In parts of two seasons in North America, Lodin only made one appearance in the NHL for Ottawa and that came on April 29th, 2022 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Source: Aftonbladet
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