Multiple teams willing to give Jake Virtanen a second chance, including another Pacific Conference team
In 2014 Jake Virtanen got to experience what every kid who grew up playing hockey dreams about when he was drafted in the first round by his hometown team the Vancouver Canucks. He played 6 seasons in the NHL before it all came to a hault. In May of 2021 Virtanen was accused of sexual assault and it was announced that the case would be taken to court. The Vancouver Canucks immediately placed Virtanen on leave and then bought him out the next month.
No team in the NHL would touch Virtanen until they knew what would happen in court. He played last season in the KHL before the trial this past July. After everything was said and done in court, Virtanen was found not guilty. So then the question became, would anyone be willing to sign him after all of this? It seems some teams have already kicked the tires on this idea, including the Edmonton Oilers.
Rick Dhaliwal of the Athletic Vancouver noted during one of his shows that the Edmonton Oilers, along with 3-4 other teams are willing to give Jake Virtanen another opportunity. Most likely this would come in the form of a Professional Tryout Offer or a minimal salary one-year-deal.
These situations are tricky as even though Virtanen was found not guilty, his reputation has taken a hit. This could be a tough one for some teams to justify the signing with their fanbase. With all of the sexual assault allegations coming out involving Hockey Canada, hockey players have taken a hit in the eyes of the public.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Virtanen deserves a second chance? | ||
| Yes, he wasn�t found guilty | 71 | 71.7 % |
| No, teams will face too much backlash | 28 | 28.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
