An 18-year-old London Knights defenceman, who asked teams to pass on drafting him this weekend, has been selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Logan Mailloux was selected 31st overall Friday night.
Earlier this week, Mailloux issued a request over social media asking that teams not select him. The statement was issued after he was convicted in Sweden for an incident that involved sexually explicit photos of a woman being shared without her consent.
The Canadiens' decision to pick the London Knight has been met with backlash over social media. The team issued a statement on Friday defending its choice.
"The Canadiens are aware of the situation and by no means minimize the severity of Logan's actions. Logan understands the impact of his actions," read the release. "His recent public statement is a genuine acknowledgment of his poor behaviour and the first step on his personal journey."
The NHL team also expressed a commitment to provide Mailloux with tools to help "guide him in his development". The full statement can be found below.
-With files from Craig Needles
Canadiens statement on selecting Logan Mailloux.https://t.co/g04PZd2sF8
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 24, 2021