Slowly, but surely, the process of rehabilitation of Logan Mailloux within the Montreal Canadiens continues.
Posted at 6:30 p.m.
After signing his first professional contract last week, the organisation’s most controversial player is now receiving the blessing of his teammates. “He is a member of our family,” even says Brendan Gallagher.
In a hockey market where every athlete is one declaration away from a national controversy, Mailloux is in a class by itself. Both the hockey world and the Quebec population were left speechless when the Habs made it their first-round pick, the 31e in total, in July 2021.
A few months earlier, while playing in Sweden, the young man had photographed his sexual partner without her consent, then distributed the snapshot to his teammates through a chain of text messages. He was condemned by the Swedish justice to pay a fine. The distribution of intimate images of a person without their consent is also included in the Canadian Criminal Code under the heading of sexual offences.
This event “will follow him all his life”, recognized Nick Suzuki, Tuesday, in the locker room of the team.
For days last year, criticism came from all over. The Prime Minister of Canada and the commissioner of the NHL deplored the choice of the Habs, whose general manager was then Marc Bergevin. The political class and civil society spoke with one voice: the Canadian had made a mistake. Team president and owner Geoff Molson took responsibility for the decision and tried to calm things down after long-time club sponsors threatened to dump the organization.
On May 31, the new general manager of the Canadian, Kent Hughes, said that Mailloux was still in “evaluation”.
It is clear that management liked what they saw of the young man. For the past year, he has undergone a series of training courses and undergone therapy. At the Canadian rookie camp, held last July in Buffalo, he offered a precise and detailed answer to a reporter who asked him about the notion of consent. The same week, he impressed Sheldon Kennedy, a longtime campaigner against sexual assault and bullying in sports.
He also spent part of the summer in Montreal, taking the opportunity to socialize with his future teammates. On Instagram, a platform from which he recently reactivated his account, he appeared in photos alongside Nick Suzuki and Josh Anderson, in particular.
PHOTO FROM LOGAN MAILLOUX’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
Logan Mailloux (third from left) with Josh Anderson and Nick Suzuki at the Lasso festival last summer
Still bothered by a serious shoulder injury suffered last season, he participated in the Canadiens’ training camp from start to finish. He now takes part in full, contact drills, although he is set to be transferred to his junior club as soon as he has fully recovered.
He will then leave Montreal with a contract in hand. On October 5, the club announced that it had sealed a three-year deal with the defender. The latter, on Instagram, said he was “honored and thrilled”. However, he has not yet been made available for interviews by the Canadian.
“A Better Person”
Hughes has still not explained what, in his view, justified his vote of confidence in Mailloux. In a succinct statement, he referred to “a decision that we have thought about in depth”. Hughes will finally meet with members of the media this Wednesday noon.
The Canadiens players are visibly ready to begin the next chapter of Mailloux’s career by his side. In unison, we praise the humility and seriousness he has shown since the beginning of the camp.
“He came here and did everything that was asked of him,” Gallagher said. If we believe that everyone is entitled to a second chance, we cannot say that he does not deserve it. »
He learned, he educated himself, he worked very hard.
Brendan Gallagher
The veteran speaks of a “learning experience”, for Mailloux, of course, but also “for everyone”. “Each of us can be a better person,” continued the striker. I’m 30 and still learning. We are here to support him. He is a member of our group, a member of our family. »
“You can see he’s worked a lot on himself,” goaltender Jake Allen said. He will learn from his mistakes. What happened is unfortunate, but I believe it will make him a better person in the future. He is ready for a fresh start. »
Jonathan Drouin, for his part, met a young athlete who was “sincere” in his approach and “ready to mature”. “I’m sure this story was difficult for him, and for the victim, of course,” added the Quebecer.
“He’s in a good place mentally,” said Suzuki, who we understand has grown closer to his fellow Ontario player in recent weeks.
“We talked a lot together during the summer. He knows he made a mistake, and it’s a very sad story for the victim. All he can do today is become a better person, make sure the other guys on the team are aware of the consequences of their actions and that the younger kids learn from that. »