Calgary Flames prospect Topi Ronni, drafted at 59 years olde The 2022 draft pick faces rape charges in Finland.
It was his club Tappara de Tampere in the Liiga that made the announcement on its website on Thursday. The 19-year-old defender will be banned from all team activities because of his troubles with the law.
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“Today I received a request for a subpoena in this matter,” he said in a written statement. It has been difficult over the past two years waiting for this case to move forward. I hope that the matter will be clarified in the trial. At the moment I am excluded from the team’s activities and concentrate on managing the file.
Break:
Calgary #Flames Young player Topi Ronni is accused of rape at home in Finland and has taken a leave of absence from his Finnish league club.
Ronni was drafted by the Flames in the 2nd round in 2022.
tea @NHLFlames issued a statement saying: “This has come to our attention… pic.twitter.com/aISbKB9ODB
— Josh Clark (@JoshClarkNHL) October 19, 2023
Furthermore, the alleged acts for which he must defend himself occurred when he was still a minor.
No decision has yet been made regarding the player’s future at Tappara.
“We take the alleged crime seriously, but are waiting for the court hearing and will then assess the player’s position,” said club CEO Mika Aro.
The Flames also responded to this news with a short press release.
“We have become aware of a potential legal issue related to Topi Ronni following his selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. We take this matter seriously and will allow the legal process to take its course. We will have no further comment at this time.”
This season, Ronni has one goal and one assist for two points in 12 games.