Lou Lamoriello says he had no knowledge of Reid Boucher's past sexual assault when he drafted player

Former NHL forward Reid Boucher pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual assault against a minor on Dec. 13, stemming from an incident that occurred in 2011, according to Washtenaw County court records. The Detroit Free Press was the first to report the news.

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, who was the GM in New Jersey when the Devils drafted Boucher in 2011, told The Athletic he was unaware of the sexual assault allegation at the time Boucher was drafted.

"Unequivocally, our organization did not know about this incident," Lamoriello said. He added that if he had been made aware of the incident he would not have drafted Boucher.

Boucher, 28, was originally charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct but pleaded to a lesser charge during a December hearing. According to the Detroit Free Press, Boucher will receive no upfront jail time and, depending on whether he completes his sentence under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA), may not have the charge appear on his public record.

Boucher, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was the woman’s billet brother while he was a member of the USA Hockey development program, she told the Free Press.

"In March of 2011, we spoke to parents of both minors and there were no accusations made, but Boucher was proactively removed from the billet home," a USA Hockey spokesperson told The Athletic. "In March of 2021, we were notified by police of allegations of sexual misconduct and have fully cooperated with their investigation."

Boucher played in the Under-18 World Championship in April 2011 and was drafted by the Devils soon after, and he played in that organization from 2013-17. He currently plays for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 31.

(Photo: Jeff Vinnick /NHLI via Getty Images)