Everything indicates that Logan Mailloux will play his first game of the season on Friday.
The Canadiens’ first choice in 2020, suspended until December 31 by the Ontario Junior League (OHL) due to a sexual crime committed in Sweden in 2020, should indeed put on the skates for the Knights from London this Friday.
As in NHL, the rise in COVID-19 infections is also causing changes to the OHL’s schedule. Originally, Mailloux could have returned to the game from 1er January, but the Knights’ game in Erie has been postponed.
It was also the uncertainty for the games this weekend. The Knights had three on the schedule: Friday at home (vs. Flint), Saturday at Flint and Sunday in Kitchener. However, the OHL has announced that Saturday’s game has been postponed, but has announced new times for those of Friday and Sunday, which suggests that they will take place, unless there is an outbreak by then.
It appears that there are currently issues with games where Canadian teams have to travel to American soil (three league teams are based in the United States). Moreover, the two games put back by the Knights (1er and January 8) were in Erie and Flint, respectively in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Rob Ramage, the Canadiens ‘player development director, planned to take advantage of the Knights’ visit to Flint on American soil to observe Mailloux in person. He will have to postpone his plans, but nevertheless ensures that he is in close contact with the controversial defender.
“We talk to each other quite regularly, I also talk to Mark Hunter [le directeur général des Knights]. Logan is really, really looking forward to a game, Rob Ramage assured Press, in a telephone interview Thursday. Obviously, it’s been a long time since he played. Mark tells me he works really hard in training. He should have played the 1er January. I wish him to play on Friday. He’s ready to play hockey. ”
The Ontarian, who was 17 at the time of the incident, had photographed, without his consent, his sexual partner. He then distributed the photo and revealed the identity of the young woman to his teammates. Swedish justice had fined him $ 2,000.
During the fall, Mailloux took part, with the support of the Knights, in therapy with a psychologist, the DD Lindsey Forbes, as well as a development plan under the tutelage of Wendy Glover, athlete development practitioner, school and personal development consultant, teacher and member of the Ontario School Counselors Association. This is what the OHL said in its press release of December 29, announcing the end of the suspension of the 18-year-old.
Mailloux’s future will be an issue that will be closely watched over the next few months. The main leaders who were behind his selection – Marc Bergevin and Trevor Timmins – were fired on November 28, so that the new administration that Jeff Gorton will establish will have no pre-established link with him.
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Mailloux has only played 19 games, all with SK Lejon, in Sweden, during the 2020-2021 season.