The Ontario Hockey League has announced yesterday that they had reinstated London Knights’ defenseman Logan Mailloux after serving a 26 games suspension. The Montreal Canadiens’ controversial first round pick, who has been training with the Knights in the meantime, will now be able to participate in games effectively January first.
In case you lived under a rock and don’t know what Mailloux did, he took a picture of a young woman’s head while having consensual sex with her, then showed it to some of his teammates. This happened in Sweden while Mailloux was 17 years old. He went to Swedish Court, was charged and paid the fine. But that wasn’t enough for many people in Canada so the OHL suspended him. The young man also went through extensive counseling while being helped by both the Knights and the Canadiens.
Since the time of the suspension, with the support of the London Knights, Logan Mailloux has participated in therapy and counselling with Dr. Lindsey Forbes, and a personal development plan under the leadership of Wendy Glover. Ms. Glover is a London-based, experienced holistic athlete development practitioner, academic and personal development advisor, teacher and member of the Ontario School Counsellors Association.
The player’s Personal Development Plan has included weekly meetings, ongoing completion of certifications, and reflections of concepts explored. Some of the certifications and programs available to athletes that he completed were Respect in Sport, Mental Health in Sport, Sport Media, Ethics in Sport, Diversity and Inclusion, Sport Psychology, and Cultural Awareness.
Time to move on
Now let’s stop being hypocrites and let’s allow the young man to move along with his life. In 2003, Dany Heatley got into a car accident, losing control of his Ferrari and he got seriously injured. Teammate and good friend Dan Snyder got killed in that crash. Heatley was allowed to move on with his life. He had a great career, even represented Canada internationally.
There have been plenty of examples around the Montreal Canadiens too. In 1981, Guy Lafleur crashed his Cadillac Escalade on Highway 20. A street sign went through his windshield and grazed his ear. Doctors couldn’t operate right away because the alcohol level in his blood was too high. He could have killed himself… or someone else.
Shayne Corson was involved in multiple brawls in bars. José Théodore was hanging out with Hells Angels. The Kostitsyn brothers where hanging out for a cocaine dealer. All were forgiven.
On the ice
Now for those who haven’t taken the time to research the type of hockey player Logan Mailloux is, let’s learn about what the Canadiens have as a hockey prospect.
| Date of birth: | April 15, 2003 | Age: | 18 |
| Height: | 6’3″ | Weight: | 214 lbs |
| Position: | Defense | Shoots: | Right |
| Place of birth: | Belle River, Ont | Draft: | 31st in 2021 |
“Mailloux consistently utilizes his size and strength to be a menacing force in his own zone. He controls gaps and uses his long reach to limit the opposition’s time and space. Below the dots, he effectively erases opponents along the wall and uses his stick to force turnovers. Up front, Mailloux has a cannon from the point with which he can effectively beat goaltenders with precision accuracy or create rebounds and deflections for his teammates.” – Prospect Pipeline
“One of the first things you notice about Logan Mailloux would be his size. At 6’3, 214 pounds and still growing, Mailloux is an absolute unit, who has the size that NHL teams always love. Mailloux plays a physical game and can stand his own against other big players. One aspect of his game that is quite noticeable would be his confidence. Mailloux is not afraid to make tough moves and attempt complicated plays that others would not dare to try. Mailloux is an offensive-defensemen, who possesses a high hockey-IQ. He sees the ice very well and knows where to be to break up a play or create offensive chances.” – David Ciss/The Puck Authority
While the Canadiens are deep on quality defensemen, most are shooting left-handed. Mailloux is arguably the Habs’ top right-handed defense prospect. Many feel like if it weren’t for his action in Sweden and his suspension, he would have been part of Team Canada at the World Junior Championships this year. Who knows, he might have been paired with Kaiden Guhle? So let’s get excited about this young prospect folks!
What Mailloux did was wrong. He paid the price in Sweden, and now in Canada. So it’s time to stop playing the offended virgins and let him move on with his life. It’s time to cut the young man some slack, to give him some rope and see what he does with it. He can either become a very good citizen or hang himself with it. But there is no doubt that he does deserve a second chance. Everybody does. Let he who has never sinned throw the first stone!
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