Logan Mailloux could well make his National Hockey League debut with the Canadian on Tuesday evening.

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This means that Commissioner Gary Bettman has given his approval for Mailloux to play in the NHL. That was a condition and the league confirmed in a brief emailed statement Tuesday morning that it had given the Canadiens defenseman its blessing.

“We have met Logan Mailloux several times in the last 8 to 10 months. We assume that he is aware of the seriousness of his past behavior and that he is serious about wanting to make better and more serious decisions in the future. He has the green light to play in the National League.

According to colleague Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, Mailloux had a discussion with NHL officials about a month ago.

Controversial

It must be remembered that the Canadian caused controversy when he made Mailloux his first choice at 31^e overall in the 2021 draft.

To understand the situation, you have to go back to the previous year. Mailloux was playing in the Swedish league at the time. He distributed a very personal photo of a sexual partner to his teammates. He was charged and ordered to pay a fine.

For this reason, Mailloux had requested that he not be drafted, but the Canadiens' administration, then led by Marc Bergevin, ignored the request, leading to an outcry.

Both fans and politicians expressed their displeasure.

Mailloux returned to London in the Ontario League, where he had to prove himself for two seasons. He was able to sign his first professional contract in the fall of 2022 and the doors of the American League opened for him last fall.

Happy season

In his first professional season, Mailloux performed very well with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League.

The 20-year-old Ontario native collected 47 points in 70 games. He ranks third among defensemen in scoring. He is also fourth among all AHL rookies. He is the third pointer for the rocket.

His play improved significantly over the course of the season and he was rewarded with an appearance in the AHL All-Star Game.

The Rocket are fighting for survival but won't play their next game until Friday evening. Therefore, it was time to offer Mailloux a reward while also testing him to the next level.