Two OHL players face lengthy suspensions including top prospect
When you have been tabbed as one of the top prospects in an upcoming draft, it should be a no-brainer that you do your best to have a squeaky clean image and do your best not to tarnish yourself. Any situation you find yourself in could have an impact on teams that have an interest in you moving forward.
Unfortunately, Sudbury Wolves forward Nathan Villeneuve, finds himself mired in controversy because of a group chat message that was shared amongst teammates. The incident in question suggested placing a bounty on the head of an opponent. In this case, Barrie Colts forward Kashan Aitcheson. While Villeneuve was not the only guilty party involved (his teammate Evan Konyen was also punished), it paints an already dark cloud over a league whose parent league continues to be mired in controversy.
It should be noted that the league did their best to hand down what they felt were appropriate consequences to the offending parties (Villeneuve has been handed a 15 game suspension and Konyen a 10-game suspension), but in 2024, the league and leagues across the country must continue to adjust and pivot because we live in an age of social media and being able to communicate with each other is easier than ever but can also have consequences.
If the league feels their policies lack in any regard, it's up to the officials and those directly involved with the players to make sure that they have a firm understanding that actions have consequences, and although they might be kidding, or say that it was a joke; sometimes jokes can go too far.
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