HABS GM ISOLATED FOR CONTROVERSIAL PICK
Bergevin took unnecessary risk by taking defenceman fined for sexual misconduct
With the 31st overall pick in the NHL entry draft, the Montreal Canadiens take ... an unnecessary controversy.
Seriously, what was Marc Bergevin thinking?
I get it. He's a bold general manager who is not afraid of taking chances and doesn't care what you think. But this wasn't shrewd. This was insensitive — if not stupid.
Days after top prospect Logan Mailloux made the rare move of asking all 32 NHL teams to take him off their lists for the entry draft — a request that came after he publicly acknowledged he was fined this winter for taking and distributing a woman's photo without consent after a sexual encounter while playing for a team in Sweden — Bergevin ignored the request and drafted him anyway.
“I was not expecting it,” Mailloux said on Saturday.
Technically, Montreal didn't do anything wrong in selecting Mailloux. Morally, it may have crossed the line.
“We will work closely with him and give him the support he needs,” Bergevin said of the 18-year-old defenceman from Belle River, Ont. “I know he's been remorseful about the incident, which we truly don't agree with it in all sense of the word. But he's a young man that made a serious mistake of judgment and we really have to work with him. And we did talk to him and he's fully aware of that and very remorseful, so that is a big step.”
It's a bad look for the Canadiens. And it's a big risk for Bergevin, who had been riding on a wave of goodwill after Montreal unexpectedly reached the Stanley Cup Final after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs. Prior to the win against Toronto, there was talk that Bergevin was in danger of losing his job.
He didn't need to do this. He shouldn't have.
After all, it's not like Mailloux was considered a can't-miss prospect. According to an interview that his victim did with The Athletic, his apology, which he delivered via “a text that was no longer than three sentences,” hasn't even been accepted.
“Most polarizing pick in the history of the NHL draft,” said ESPN analyst Sam Cosentino.
“Honestly, speechless,” said Mark Seidel, a chief scout with North American Central Scouting, who had him ranked 64th overall. “Most shocking moment in 29 years of doing this. There have been bad kids. This is next level. I don't think he warrants a first-round pick, regardless of the incident or not. He's a kid who's never played in major junior. He certainly has a lot of physical tools, but there are other kids who play the way he plays that you could have.”
Mailloux asked not to be drafted, apparently because he hadn't demonstrated the maturity and courage to earn that privilege.
Character is big with hockey teams. It's the trait that often gets listed above size, skating ability and shot accuracy.
Still, heading into the draft, there was talk that a team might have selected Mailloux. Most thought if it did happen, it wouldn't be until the latter rounds. Or next year, after Mailloux played a year of junior. But Bergevin didn't want to wait. He didn't want to miss out on a prospect other GMS wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole.
That speaks volumes.
“I thank them for believing in me and giving me a second chance,” said Mailloux, adding that his decision to share a naked picture with friends on Snapchat was “the dumbest thing” he has ever done.
“I promise not to let anybody down and want to use my personal story to be a part of the solution moving forward . ... I do hope the fans learn to accept me.”
Bergevin defended the pick by saying that he believed some team would have taken Mailloux in the second round. The Canadiens, who had the final two picks in the second round, didn't want to risk losing him to another team. So Bergevin took a career-defining chance on a 6-foot-3, 213-pound late-bloomer, who, because COVID -19 wiped out his draft year, might be better than anyone expects.
After all, Bergevin apparently believes Mailloux is not quite as bad a person as others seem to believe — citing the public acknowledgment as one of the examples.
“To be able to be sincere, remorseful, apologetic to the family, that what he did was a terrible mistake and it's not something that will ever happen again and it's something that we do believe,” said Bergevin. “And we've got to work with him that it will never happen again.”
Still, expect there to be pressure. Fans will question this.
“We're fully aware and as an organization it's very unacceptable,” said Bergevin.
“But also, it's a young man who made a terrible mistake . ... And that he's willing and remorseful and he has a lot of work to do, but he's already started to put it behind him and have a hockey career.”
Good luck with that.