Prospect Logan Mailloux removes himself from NHL draft after going public with criminal charges

18-year-old Logan Mailloux appeared to be facing a very bright future in the upcoming NHL draft. The defenceman, who has played with the London Knights, was ranked as high as 23rd among North American skaters and the feeling is he would likely go in the second or third round. However, late last week, Mailloux went public with criminal charges he faced while playing in Sweden during a loan from the OHL. Now, Mailloux is removing himself from the draft entirely.

"Being drafted into the NHL is an honour and a privilege that no one takes lightly," said Mailloux on his Twitter account. "The NHL draft should be one of the most exciting landmarks in a player's career, and given the circumstances I don't feel I've demonstrated strong enough maturity or character to earn that privilege in the 2021 draft."

Mailloux went on to say that he wants the fanbase of whatever team that selected him to be proud and welcoming, and he feels he needs more time to gain back trust.

"And that is why I think it is best to renounce myself from the 2021 draft and ask that no one select me this upcoming weekend," said Mailloux.

His intention is to return to the London Knights and work on his character in the hopes that teams will take another look at him in 2022.

UPDATE: Mailloux technically can't renounce draft or remove himself from it

Mailloux was charged with taking and sharing a graphic photo after a consensual sexual encounter. Mailloux was 17 when the offense is alleged to have occurred in Skelleftea, Sweden in early November of last year. He was on loan from the London Knights to a team playing in the Hockeyettan due to the shutdown of the OHL at the time. The girl involved in the encounter was 18. Mailloux gave Daily Faceoff permission to publish details of the case, which is required as he was a minor when the charges were laid. Mailloux allegedly photographed the girl while involved in the act of oral sex. The next morning, he showed the photo to his teammates, although he says the girl was unidentifiable. However, a police report states that when Mailloux shared the photo of the encounter with teammates through a Snapchat group, he also shared a screenshot of the girl's profile, which showed her name, age and other personal details. While the incident was a well-known one in Sweden, it was not until his recent interview with Daily Faceoff that anyone outside the inner hockey circles in North America was aware of the charges.

The London Knights have already said Mailloux will be welcomed back to the team next season saying it appears the situation has been resolved. In his interview with Daily Faceoff, Mailloux was very apologetic, calling what he did a "stupid, childish mistake."

There was word that many teams had placed Mailloux on their "do not draft" list due to the incident.

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