Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'deeply disappointed' after Canadiens drafted Logan Mailloux
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "deeply disappointed" with the Montreal Canadiens' decision to draft Logan Mailloux, who was charged and fined in Sweden for sharing explicit sexual photos without the consent of the woman in the pictures.
"As a lifelong Habs fan, I have to say, I am deeply disappointed by the decision," Trudeau told reporters in Moncton N.B.
Mailloux, 18, from Belle River, Ont. was on loan from Ontario Hockey League's London Knights when the incident occurred late last year.
"He's a young man who made a serious mistake of judgment and we need to work with him and we did talk to him and he's very aware of that and very remorseful," said Canadiens' GM Marc Bergervin said after drafting the defenceman with the 31st pick in the first round of the NHL Draft.
BRAND DAMAGE AND SPONSOR FLIGHT?
Some Montreal Canadiens sponsors have said they're reviewing their relationship with the team after the selection of Mailloux.
Desjardins Group, a major Canadiens sponsor, contacted the team on Monday to "obtain an explanation and to share our discomfort with this decision," Valerie Lamarre, a spokeswoman for the credit union federation, wrote in an email.
Pharmacy chain Jean Coutu Group also said it is "reviewing the situation."
Concordia University marketing professor Robert Soroka said the decision damages the Canadiens' storied brand.
"Brand equity is fragile at best, can be tarnished easily, and that could evenetually cost the Canadiens money," said Soroka. "There's going to companies who will not want to associate with the Canadiens brand."
OFF-ICE CHARACTER MATTERS
Bergevin and the Canadiens' statements, as well as Mailloux's apology in a Zoom news conference the day after he was selected did little to curb the criticism from many, who saw the Habs as placing on-ice skill far above off-ice behaviour.
"This move is extremely frustrating and upsetting, especially from a team and general manager that have spent the past decade harping on the importance of character. It’s clear that off-ice character is trumped by on-ice performance," said TSN 690 She's Got Game host Robyn Flynn.
Ryerson University's Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education consent educator Farrah Khan told CTV News on the weekend that it's important that Mailloux was open about his actions, and asked not to be drafted in a statement before the draft. However, the Habs picked him anyway, which Khan called disappointing, a sentiment the prime minister echoed on Tuesday.
"What was disappointing, was that his own opinions, own thoughts, weren't being respected by the team," said Khan. "If he's saying this, then why is this team saying, 'Oh, we want to draft you in the first draft.' That's something that I find really confusing."
Melanie Lemay of Quebec Against Sexual Violence said in drafting Mailloux the Habs were insulting fans while promoting a much more problematic attitude towards sexual violence.
"It enables sexual violence, and, at the same time, it's kind of giving us as fans a slap in the face when we reaalize, at the end, it's all about hockey in their eyes and they don't really care of the way it's going to be seen by society," said Lemay.
The selection of Mailloux has also been criticized by Isabelle Charest, Quebec's minister responsible for the status of women, as well as by groups that advocate for women who are victims of sexual violence.
Charest, who is also the province's deputy education minister responsible for sports, wrote Saturday that she was "surprised and disappointed by the Montreal Canadiens decision to draft Logan Mailloux despite his conviction for unacceptable acts."
Trudeau said the decision showed a lack of judgment on the part of the Canadiens organization.
"They have a lot of explaining to do to Montrealers and fans across the country," he said.
-- with files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Ontario reveals highest public sector salaries in sunshine list
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.