Prospect Logan Mailloux withdraws from 2021 NHL Draft

[UPDATE: The Canadiens selected Mailloux in the first round.]

Logan Mailloux has withdrawn from the 2021 NHL Draft following a 2020 conviction in Sweden for taking and circulating a photo of a woman performing a sex act without her consent.

The 18-year-old London Knights defenseman, who was on loan with Sweden’s SK Lejon at the time, was fined for “Kränkande fotografering” (offensive photography constituting an invasion of privacy) and “Förtal” (defamation), according to The Athletic. He finished out the season overseas as the Ontario Hockey League was on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The victim spoke to The Athletic and said she has not forgiven Mailloux.

“The woman said she asked that Mailloux send her a sincere apology in written form because she did not want to meet with him in person. She said she received ‘a text that was no longer than three sentences.’ “All I wanted was a heartfelt apology for his behavior.”

Mailloux posted a statement to Twitter on Tuesday announcing his decision.

“Being drafted into the NHL is an honour and a privilege that no one takes lightly. The NHL Draft should be one of the most exciting landmark moments in a player’s career, and given the circumstances I don’t feel I have demonstrated strong enough maturity or character to earn that privilege in the 2021 Draft. If I were to ever have the honour of being selected I would want a fanbase to be proud to welcome me to their organization. I know it will take time for society to build back the trust I have lost, and that is why I think it is best that I renounce myself from the 2021 NHL Draft and ask that no one select me this upcoming weekend. I feel that this would allow me the opportunity to demonstrate an adequate level of maturity and character next season with the London Knights in the OHL and provide all the NHL teams the opportunity to reassess my character towards the 2022 NHL Draft.”

The Knights issued a statement on July 16 saying they were aware of the situation and that team staff “are working with Logan, ensuring that he is accessing the supports that are in place to help him better understand his actions, the ramifications of his actions and ensuring that this does not happen again. The team and the (Ontario Hockey) League will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

Mailloux was ranked 23rd among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in May. If he is not picked this weekend, he would remain eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, some teams still had the defenseman on their draft boards while others placed him on their “Do Not Draft” list.

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at [e-mail] or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.