Unfortunate disrespect follows young player after waivers move

On Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens placed defenseman William Trudeau on waivers, making him available to the other 31 teams in the NHL.

The move was procedural: the Habs needed to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, but it still opened the door for another team to scoop him up.

On Friday, Trudeau learned his fate as no one made a claim for him, and therefore will be on his way to Laval.

Unfortunately, instead of hockey talk, Trudeau’s name became the butt of online jokes over the past 24 hours. Fans flooded social media with comments tying him to Katy Perry, who was once rumored to be linked to former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Does this mean his relationship with Katy Perry can go to the next step now?” one fan quipped.

“Assigned to Katy Perry?” joked another.

“Of course no one claimed him,” bluntly stated a third.

Sidelined by a torn pectoral muscle, the 23-year-old has yet to play this season after starting on the non-roster/injured list. He signed a one-year, two-way deal this summer worth a $775,000 NHL cap hit and a $90,000 AHL salary, with a guaranteed $100,000.

With his health improving, Trudeau will aim to make an impact in Laval, and hopefully leave the bad jokes behind.