The Canucks put Virtanen on leave in May after a woman named "M.S." accused him of sexual assault. Virtanen allegedly "used his body weight and superior strength" to make her powerless in a hotel room. According to a Canucks statement, "their organisation does not allow sexual misconduct of any type, and the reported claims are being investigated very seriously."
Virtanen hasn't been charged with anything yet. He acknowledged having intercourse with the woman but claimed that she consented "by her words and behaviour", according to his response to M.S's lawsuit. Virtanen said M.S. gave him no verbal or physical indication she didn't want to sexually interact.
The Canucks confirmed late July that Virtanen's contract will be bought out, making him a free agent. Some analysts believe the decision was based on his performance, which has never lived up to the hype. There was some anticipation he'd be signed by another NHL team, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Brendan Leipsic was released from his contract with the Washington Capitals after private Instagram chats were published online. Their wives, previous teammates, and current NHLers were all attacked in those texts.
