The Habs Just Signed A Player With A Sex-Related Offense Conviction & Twitter Is Losing It
The Montreal Canadiens have signed Logan Mailloux, a defenceman with a conviction for a sex-based offense, whose selection in the 2021 draft divided fans (even Trudeau weighed in on the pick). Debate on Twitter was reignited Wednesday following GM Kent Hughes' announcement that the Habs have agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with Mailloux.
"This is a decision that we have thought through carefully. Having Logan around members of our team and hockey operations staff for a good part of the summer allowed us to gain a greater appreciation of Logan Mailloux the person," said the general manager.
Mailloux was convicted by Swedish courts in 2020 for taking and distributing a sexually explicit photo of an 18-year-old without her consent and ordered to pay a fine. Critics of the team's decision to draft the player, despite his public request to withdraw from consideration, contend that a similar guilty verdict in Canada could have legally rendered Mailloux a juvenile sex offender.
Many took to Twitter to voice renewed anger and frustration that the team was moving forward with the player. "Always nice to add a Sex Offender to a struggling organization," one person commented on the Habs' post. "Irresponsible and wrongheaded signing. You have just condoned his previous behaviour. Shameful," tweeted another.
Since drafting Mailloux, the team has said it would help the player reflect on his actions and develop an awareness campaign to educate young people on consent.
"He has an opportunity to affect positive change and we will work to support him in any effort towards that goal. Logan recognizes the impact of his gesture and of course, the process continues," the team's GM said on Wednesday.
In 2021, the woman implicated in Mailloux's crime told The Athletic that she felt Mailloux’s attempts to apologize "were done at the behest of team officials and the court." She said when she asked Mailloux for a "heartfelt" apology, she received "a text that was no longer than three sentences."
Meanwhile, supporters of the Habs' decision to sign Mailloux say he'll be a strong addition to the team's defence line-up. Others argue that he has changed and have tweeted that 2021 will be Mailloux's "redemption season."
"How do you 'redeem' yourself after secretly taking and spreading naked photos of someone else?" one commenter asked in response.
"I have mixed feelings about this one. I think he improved and he is really trying to get better, but at the same time, I feel like he is getting a free pass. It is not okay to do something like that and still get to play in the NHL but also, some players have done worse," said another Twitter user.
The defenceman received a $92,500 signing bonus and will make $750,000 in the coming NHL season. That amount will go up to $832,500 each of the two seasons after that. If he plays at the AHL level, he stands to make $70,000 per season.
