The Washington Capitals will terminate forward Brendan Leipsic’s contract on Friday after misogynistic and vulgar messages were leaked on social media Wednesday evening. They have placed him on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.
The Washington Capitals have placed Brendan Leipsic on unconditional waivers for purposes of terminating his contract.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) May 8, 2020
Wednesday evening, Leipsic’s private messages were leaked on social media. Screenshots showed vulgar and degrading language regarding women and former and current teammates. His Instagram account is no longer active as of Wednesday. The 25-year-old tweeted an apology, claiming his friend’s Instagram account was hacked.
Per a team spokesperson, the Capitals quickly learned of Leipsic’s comments and were going to “handle this matter internally.” The NHL also issued a statement on Wednesday night. Florida Panthers’ forward Jack Rodewald was also a part of the chat. The Panthers have yet to release a statement.
Leipsic was on his fifth team in the past five years. He signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $700K on July 1 with the Capitals. Prior to Washington, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings.
The University of Manitoba Bisons Men’s Hockey Team released Jeremy Leipsic, the brother of Brendan Leipsic, after taking part in the misogynistic and explicit messages, the University’s athletic director Gene Muller announced on Thursday. Muller said in a statement, “We condemn any such remarks and attitudes as they are offensive, reprehensible, and have absolutely no place in our sport or in our programs.”
By Della Young
