Former Canadiens first-round pick cleared to play

Renaud Lavoie of The NHL Network is reporting that Montreal Canadiens defensive prospect Logan Mailloux has been cleared by the NHL to play for the team next season. Lavoie posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that “Logan Mailloux has received a green light to play in the NHL when he earns a job with the Montreal Canadiens, putting an end to the speculation.”

The native of Belle River, Ontario, just wrapped up his final season of OHL eligibility winning an OHL Championship with the London Knights. A season in which he posted 25 goals and 28 assists in 59 games.

The 20-year-old Mailloux was charged in Sweden with defamation and offensive photography after he shared an explicit picture of a woman with his teammates in Sweden without her consent. Mailloux was 17 years old at the time and amid the controversy, he was selected by the Canadiens in the entry draft that followed, after he had asked teams not to draft him. The NHL elected to review the situation before agreeing to allow Mailloux to play in the league.

Mailloux met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman this past summer in what was presumably a meeting to discuss his being cleared by the league as he looked to turn pro for the first time after signing his NHL entry-level contract last year. He would have required clearance to play in the AHL or the NHL if he wanted to play professional hockey in North America.

Mailloux and the Montreal Canadiens have taken steps to try and make amends. Mailloux has taken part in multiple educational events led by the community manager for the Montreal Canadiens Foundation Geneviève Paquette. The Canadiens franchise has also put $1M into a 'Respect and Consent Action Plan.'

With Mailloux now reportedly cleared to play he will need to play catchup as he has missed significant time due to his suspensions as well as multiple injuries that he has dealt with. He is unlikely to land a job with the Canadiens as they have a good stockpile of skilled, young defensemen who will also be looking to crack the lineup. Given that, he will likely start the season with the Laval Rocket which would be a good fit for him so he can better understand what it takes to become a professional before being thrust under the bright lights in Montreal.