NHL clears Canadiens defenceman Logan Mailloux ahead of season finale

Laval Rocket's Logan Mailloux looks up at the scoreboard during AHL hockey action in Laval, Que., Friday Oct. 13, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi)

The NHL says it has cleared Logan Mailloux for participation after the Montreal Canadiens recalled the defenceman Monday night ahead of their regular-season finale Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Mailloux is expected to make his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings after spending the entire season to date with the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket.

The Windsor, Ont. native was fined by Swedish authorities in 2020 after admitting to two charges related to sharing, without her consent, a photo of a woman performing a sexual act.

Montreal, then under general manager Marc Bergevin, was heavily criticized for drafting Mailloux with the 31st pick at the 2021 NHL draft despite the blueliner publicly asking not to be selected.

Mailloux, who was playing for the Swedish team SK Lejon at the time of the incident, has previously said he "deeply regrets" taking and then sharing that photo with his teammates "to impress them."

The Ontario Hockey League suspended Mailloux in September 2021 indefinitely for violating the league's expectation for appropriate conduct by a player. Mailloux was reinstated and rejoined the London Knights in January 2022.

He has 14 goals and 33 assists in 70 AHL games and earned an all-star selection this season.

"We have met with Logan Mailloux multiple times over the course of the last eight to 10 months. We are comfortable that he recognizes the gravity of his prior conduct and is committed to making better and more responsible decisions in the future," the NHL said in a statement Tuesday. "He has been cleared to participate in National Hockey League play."

Earlier Tuesday, the Canadiens signed six-foot-two, 209-pound forward Luke Tuch to a two-year, entry-level contract.

The 22-year-old had 10 goals and 20 assists in 39 games with the Boston University Terriers in the NCAA this season.

The Canadiens selected Tuch in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2020 NHL draft. He will finish the season in the AHL.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2024.