Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux remains ineligible to play in NHL

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly stated on Wednesday that disgraced Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux is ineligible to play in the NHL.

Montreal returned Mailloux, a 2021 first-round selection, back to the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights after he failed to make the team out of training camp. The 19-year-old was reinstated by the OHL on Jan. 1 and is currently playing for the Knights, where he has four goals and eight points in eight games.

“I think we’ve been clear with Logan Mailloux. He is not eligible to play in our league now, either,” Daly said. “So, Montreal has made a decision with respect to Logan. Boston made a decision with respect to Mitchell Miller.”

“But neither player would be eligible without clearing with us at the time their ability and eligibility to play in the league,” Bettman said. “And both clubs were advised about that.”

Mailloux was charged and fined in Sweden for distributing a sexually explicit photo of one of his partners without their consent. This was publicly known prior to the 2021 NHL draft, with Mailloux himself even asking teams not to select him, but the Canadiens elected to draft him with the 31st overall pick, drawing widespread criticism for the pick.

In October, the Canadiens signed Mailloux to an entry-level contract, stating that it was a "decision they had thought through carefully."

"Having Logan around members of our team and hockey operations staff for a good part of the summer allowed us to gain a greater appreciation of Logan Mailloux the person," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said. "He has an opportunity to affect positive change and we will work to support him in any effort towards that goal. Logan recognizes the impact of his gesture and of course, the process continues."

Mailloux’s eligibility resurfaced as a point of interest after the Boston Bruins signed defenseman Mitchell Miller on Nov. 4. Miller racially abused a developmentally disabled classmate named Isaiah Meyer-Crothers repeatedly when they went to high school together, culminating in an incident where he forced Meyer-Crothers to lick a lollipop he had wiped on a urinal.

Miller was released on Nov. 6 after significant public backlash, including from members of the Bruins, which culminated in the NHL and AHL both stating that he was not eligible to play. On Wednesday, Meyer-Crothers released a statement detailing the years of abuse he suffered at the hands of Miller, who Meyer-Crothers said has yet to offer a genuine apology.

More from Yahoo Sports