The Habs owner addressed the many issues of this draft pick in a public statement
While the free-agent market was in full swing in the National Hockey League (NHL), Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson spoke for the first time about Logan Mailloux's selection, saying the organization would "re-evaluate the situation" over the course of the year.
Thus, Mailloux will not be able to take part in any camp with the club this year. While the will support the young man in his commitment to becoming a better person, the Tricolore acknowledges that the committed a serious transgression that did not reflect the values of the team.
"Playing in the NHL is a privilege, not a right," Molson wrote in a statement. "Over the course of the year, we will reassess the situation and determine if Logan is ready to join our organization."
Molson also agreed that the Canadian's role in society goes far beyond the spheres of hockey. He admitted that the team had failed to understand the impact of this selection on victims of sexual crimes.
Thus, he commits that the organization, with the help of experts, will put in place a plan to raise awareness of sexual violence among young people. "At this point, only our actions will have greater significance than our words," Molson wrote.
The owner also wanted to offer his apologies, both to Mailloux's victim and to the supporters and others who were shocked by this situation.
"First and foremost, considering the young woman who is the victim of this situation, I would like to say that we are in no way trivializing what she has suffered and continues to suffer as a result of these gestures. No one, especially an 18-year-old, should have to have such a traumatic experience as the one she has had. We are committed to supporting her and her family and respecting their privacy."
"We never intended to disrespect this young woman, her family, women in general or victims of similar circumstances by choosing Logan. Our decision was in no way intended to be a guarantee, in any way, of the culture of violence against women."
Mailloux was found guilty of sharing an explicit photo of a sexual partner without her consent last November in Sweden. He asked NHL teams not to draft him, but the Habs still selected him in the first round on Friday.
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