NHL clears Montreal Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux to make debut against Red Wings

The National Hockey League released a statement Tuesday morning ahead of the Montreal Canadiens’ final game of the 2023-24 regular season, clearing rookie Logan Mailloux and allowing him to make his NHL debut tonight vs. Detroit Red Wings.

The Canadiens drafted Mailloux in 2021 under controversial circumstances. Prior to that year’s draft, Daily Faceoff reported that multiple teams had placed Mailloux on their “do not draft” lists after he was charged in November 2020 for taking and distributing an explicit photo without consent during a consensual sexual encounter while playing with Swedish club SK Lejon.

Mailloux made it known ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft that he didn’t want to be drafted, but the Canadiens selected him at No. 31 overall.

Mailloux spent the 2023-24 regular season with the Canadiens’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, where he tallied 14 goals and 33 assists for 47 points in 70 games; subsequently, Mailloux was named to the AHL All-Star Game where he represented the North Division. Mailloux leads all Laval defenders in points and ranks third among Rocket skaters in points, trailing Brandon Gignac and Phil Maillet.

The 21-year-old spent three seasons with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and in 2022-23 led the OHL with the most goals by a defenseman with 25; he tallied 53 points in 59 games. Throughout 75 career games with London, Mailloux scored 28 goals and added 34 assists for 62 points, he notched 24 points in 21 OHL Playoff contests.

The Belle-River, Ontario product signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens prior to the 2022-23 regular season when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman declared Mailloux eligible to play.