When playing in Sweden last season, Mailloux secretly took a photo of the sexual encounter agreed upon by both parties, then showed it to his teammates and revealed the identity of the woman to them. She reported to the police and he was accused of privacy violation and defamation. Since he was a minor at the time, Mailloux was ordered to pay a fine equivalent to approximately US$1,700.

Molson said in an open letter that Melu will not participate in the rookie or main training camp this fall.

Canadiens owner apologizes to fans and promises to take action

“Being a player in the NHL is a privilege to win-not a right to be granted. Over time, we will reassess whether Logan is ready to join our organization.”

He also apologized to fans who were upset because the team chose to ignore Mailloux’s violations.

“We gave Logan a second chance, but in doing so, we failed to properly assess the impact of our decision on the victims and anyone who suffered in similar situations,” he said.

“Again, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected by our decision.”

Watch | Habs criticizes controversial pick:

Molson also pledged to take action, saying that the team will develop a “comprehensive plan to raise awareness of this serious problem and educate young men and women” in the coming months.

“We will use our platform and resources to transform decisions that hurt many people into meaningful and impactful changes.”

After news of the Swedish allegations surfaced, Mailloux issued a statement on Twitter asking the NHL team not to draft him, saying that he did not show enough “maturity” to win the privilege of being drafted.

His statement stated that not being selected in 2021 will enable him to “show sufficient maturity and character with the London Cavaliers next season” and give the NHL team the opportunity to reassess his skills before the 2022 draft character.

A few days after his statement was posted on Twitter, Habs selected Mailloux with the 31st overall pick.

Molson said the choice was “never rude”

Molson stated in an open letter that he did not want to “minimize” the experience of the victims in the case.

“No one, especially 18-year-olds, should not go through such traumatic experiences,” he wrote. “We are there to support her and her family and respect their privacy.”

Molson said the team “in no way chose Logan to disrespect her or her family, or more generally to victims of women or other similar situations.

He wrote: “Our decision is not intended to support a culture of violence against women in any form or form.”

Molson continued to defend Mailloux, saying that he “really regrets the pain he caused” and was “committed to becoming a better person.”

On Saturday, Mailloux answered questions from reporters at an online press conference during which he said he was receiving consultations.

“I know that I have caused a lot of harm to this person and their family, and I regret doing this stupid and conceited behavior,” he said.

Write an example of crisis response

The Canadians’ decision to select the 18-year-old Mailloux with a first-round pick has aroused widespread condemnation.

Several advocacy groups also expressed concern about the message sent by the hockey club by drafting Mailloux. Many media columns also criticized this decision.

Robert Soroka, a professor of marketing at Concordia University, said that Molson’s open letter was “a textbook example of how to deal with crisis situations. Obviously, the initial concern was the erosion of the Canadian brand.”

Soroka also said that Molson announced that the organization will re-evaluate Mailloux during the year, which gives the organization a chance to “retract” his decision to draft.

“The Canadians are basically saying,’Look, if in fact this player does not satisfy us, he may not become a member of the Canadians’ NHL organization in the future.'”