Montreal Canadiens executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton said Monday that prospect Logan Mailloux is "in good standing" to try to make the team out of training camp.
Mailloux, who was suspended by the OHL and had his eligibility suspended by the NHL for secretly photographing a woman and then sharing those explicit photos without consent, reportedly met earlier this summer with league commissioner Gary Bettman.
“It went well,” Gorton said before teeing it up Monday at the team’s annual golf tournament, as reported by the Montreal Gazette. “We’ve been told by the league that if and when … if he makes the NHL … we’ll talk to you then, too.
“I’ve been told by the league that he’ll be in good standing, but I think in any kind of case when you sit down with a player, it’s a privilege to play in the NHL, and Gary wanted to sit with him and talk to him, and I think he wants to continue on the same path that he’s been on,” Gorton said. “Right now, he’s not an NHL player, so it’s not really for Gary to say. But it’s not going to be a problem when it’s time. We’re going to let him go try to play and make the team and wherever he is and then when it’s time, hopefully, to play an NHL game he will be ready.”
Gorton also confirmed that Mailloux could play in the AHL if he doesn't make the NHL club.
Added Canadiens owner and president Geoff Molson, when asked about Mailloux:
"I’ve stayed informed, for sure," Molson said, according to the Gazette. "At the end of the day, I’m the one that made the commitment to work with him as an organization. I honestly believe that everyone around him that has worked closely with him believes that he has learned from his mistake. He’s learned about the consequences of what he did. I think everyone around him is telling me that he’s ready to take that next step."
As confirmed by Sportsnet on Aug. 23, Mailloux had his eligibility to play in the NHL restored by the league.
The Canadiens' selection of Mailloux in the first round (31st overall) of the NHL Draft in 2021 was the subject of backlash because he had been convicted in Sweden in 2020 for sharing, without consent, a photo of a woman performing a sex act.
Before being drafted, 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.
After being suspended by the OHL, Mailloux returned 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.
