And he understands there may be Oilers fans who will never believe his side of the story if he earns a spot on the team this fall. “Everyone has their own opinion on everything,” said Virtanen, the former Vancouver Canucks winger who was found not guilty of sexual assault by a BC Supreme Court jury in July. “I think that’s important. I think everyone should have their own opinion on everything, that’s why we live in a big country.” Virtanen was charged in January in connection with an incident in a downtown Vancouver hotel room in September 2017. He was a righty for the Canucks when the allegations surfaced in May 2021. The team placed him on leave and bought out his contract the following month. The court issued a not guilty verdict on July 26. Virtanen claimed in court that the encounter was consensual. “I went through the process and it was very difficult. It felt a long time, for me, in my heart,” she said. “I was very stressed and I went through a lot of things but, at the end of the day, I did it the right way and I’m very happy that I did it the right way.” Along with a lot of scrutiny for the signing on social media, some in Edmonton feel this is a bad look for the team. Mary Jane James, CEO of the Edmonton Sexual Assault Centre, says this type of move is along the same lines as Hockey Canada’s mistakes. “So it says to me that the Oilers are sending a message that they’re taking the verdict at face value, regardless of what the charges were — which were very, very serious — and they’re just sweeping it under the rug like they did at Hockey Canada in 2003 and again in 2018, and it’s really, really disappointing,” she said, referring to sexual assault allegations leveled against two different world junior hockey teams. “It sends a horrible message to our community about what they prioritize. They prioritize their chances of having a successful team over the horrible message of having someone on their team who has been accused of such a horrible crime.” James said there is no way to send the right message unless organizations mandate not to sign such players. “We’re never going to get to the other side if we don’t start putting our money where our mouth is, and that is, we’re not going to associate with anybody who has this history,” James said. “We won’t. And that will send a message to others who might say, ‘Don’t think it’s worth it.’ Virtanen, a native of Abbotsford, BC, made his NHL debut in 2015 with the hometown Canucks, but never lived up to the hype that came with being the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft. His best season, 2019-20, saw him score 18 times and add 18 assists, not the numbers expected from such a highly touted prospect.
“Many teams” were interested in signing Virtanen
Virtanen spent part of the 2021-22 season with Spartak Moscow of the KHL, but left Russia when the war in Ukraine began. Now he has a chance to make the Oilers roster, a team famous for giving players second, third and even fourth chances. Evander Kane signed last season after his contract was terminated by the San Jose Sharks and there were allegations – unproven – that he abused his ex-wife. Kane also addressed issues he had with gambling in the past. But with the Oilers, he re-established himself as an elite power forward, scoring 22 times in 43 regular-season games as an Oiler and netting 13 more in 15 playoff games. There’s no way Virtanen can be expected to put up those kinds of numbers, and if he’s signed, Oilers president and general manager Ken Holland will need to work some pay cap magic for a team he’s already dealing with. And the Oilers also signed 34-year-old defenseman Jason Demers to a professional tryout. Virtanen said several teams were interested in his services. “There were quite a few teams and we had a lot of discussions over the summer,” he said. “Edmonton was one of them. I talked a lot over the summer with them and they were really good conversations. It was a good summer and after my stuff was over we really started talking more.” Virtanen said he is ready to turn the page and hopes the fans are too. “My goal is to get back to the NHL,” he said, adding that a big influence Russia had on his life was his fitness level. “Russian training is on another level. I’ve had six or seven months. It really shows. Those guys work hard over there.” And this is what he had to say about his time with the Canucks. “I loved Vancouver and they have a great organization there. I have nothing bad to say about it. I love all those guys still in Vancouver, they were great teammates,” he said. If Virtanen makes the team and the Oilers find the space to give him a contract, it won’t take long for him to re-introduce himself to the Canucks. The Oilers open the season Oct. 12 at home in Vancouver. The Oilers open training camp this week.
