Calgary Flames prospect facing rape charges in Finland
Topi Ronni, the 59th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, is facing charges and stepping away from his Liiga club.
Calgary Flames prospect Topi Ronni is facing rape charges in Finland and will be held out of action for an indefinite period, according to a news release from Ronni’s Finnish club, Tappara Tampere, on Thursday.
Ronni, 19, was drafted 59th overall in the 2022 draft by the Flames.
"Today, I have received a summons application related to the matter,” Ronni said in the team-released statement, per Google Translate. “The last two or so years have been hard waiting for the matter to progress. I trust that the related course of events will be clarified in connection with the trial.”
According to the statement released by Tappara, the alleged crime took place when Ronni was a minor.
“We became aware of a potential legal issue involving Topi Ronni following our selection of him in the 2022 draft,” read a statement released by the Calgary Flames on X. “We take this matter seriously and will let the legal process follow its due course. We have no further comment at this time.”
While Ronni attended Flames development camp this past summer, the start of his 2023-24 Liiga campaign prevented him from participating in the rookie tournament and training camp. Before announcing his departure from the team, Ronni recorded two points in 12 games with Tappara this season.
Last year, the Finnish center split his draft-year-plus one campaign between Liiga ( five points in 22 games, Tappara’s U-20 team (10 points in seven games) and Finland’s World Junior squad (zero points in five games).
The matter marks the latest in a string of troubling incidents in the world of hockey over the past number of years. In 2021, the Montreal Canadiens selected defenseman Logan Mailloux despite being charged for taking an intimate photo with a woman without her consent while playing in Sweden. Then, in 2022, the Boston Bruins attempted to sign defenseman Mitchell Miller despite rampant concerns surrounding Miller's bullying and racism toward classmate Isaiah Meyer-Crothers.
Ronni has not signed an entry-level contract with the Flames.
