MONTREAL – Tennis player Aleksandra Wozniak was apparently not pleased when the Montreal Canadiens included centre Louis Leblanc among their first cuts from training camp.
The former world No. 21 from Blainville, Que., sent messages on Twitter in French and in English blasting the Canadiens for the move on Tuesday.
The messages have since been deleted.
One message read: “He did everything the CH organization told him to do and what. . . get cut this early? Oh and the reason. . . worst excuse ever! This is wrong”
A tweet in French read: “A real joke with the worst excuse for cutting someone. Truly not a fair shot.”
She did not say what reason was given for cutting Leblanc, who was drafted 18th overall by Montreal in 2009.
Various media reports described 23-year-old Leblanc as 26-year-old Wozniak’s boyfriend.
Plagued by injuries in recent seasons, Wozniak has dropped to 377th in WTA rankings.
Leblanc was among 14 players cut after a 6-3 pre-season loss to Boston on Monday night.
The Montreal native had five goals and five assists in 42 NHL games in 2011-12. Last season, he battled injuries and produced only 18 points in 62 games for Hamilton of the AHL.
But he showed up to camp in good shape and looked sharp in training camp scrimmages.
His agent, Pat Brisson, advised him not to get discouraged.
“Louis is disappointed for sure,” said Brisson. “But as I told him, if a player is cut now or next week, it doesn’t change anything.
“It’s not where you’re playing on Sept. 30 that’s important, it’s where you’re playing on March 30.
“Personally, I’m satisfied with how he’s progressed since last year. At last year’s camp, on a scale of one to 10, I’d have given him a three or four. This year, it would be eight. He didn’t do all that work for nothing. He’ll keep his chin up and keep going.”
— With files from Robert Laflamme.
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