Mike Hoffman's Fiancee Accused of Online Harassment of Erik Karlsson's Wife

Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson and his wife, Melinda Karlsson, have alleged that Sens forward Mike Hoffman's fiancee has been harassing them online since November.

According to Shaamini Yogaretnam of the Ottawa Citizen, Melinda filed an order of protection against Monika Caryk.

The Karlssons had a stillborn son in March, and Melinda said Caryk taunted her and her husband about it on social media: "Monika Caryk has uttered numerous statements wishing my unborn child dead. She also uttered that she wished I was dead and that someone should 'take out' my husband's legs to 'end his career.' Monika Caryk has posted over 1,000 negative and derogatory statements about me as a professional."

Hoffman has denied the allegations on behalf of Caryk.

Hoffman said: "There is a 150 percent chance that my fiancee Monika and I are not involved in any of the accusations that have been pursued [that are] coming our way."

He also offered support for the Karlssons and suggested that someone else is responsible for the harassment that they have dealt with:

"We've offered to cooperate and do anything it takes to find out who is doing this, and support [the Karlssons]. Obviously this is a tough time that they're going through, and we want to find out who is doing this, because for some reason it's coming into our court, and it's 150 percent that it's not us. We have nothing to hide. We're willing to cooperate in any way to solve this and figure it out, and prove that it wasn't us."

Hoffman's agent, Robert Hooper, supported the notion that Hoffman and Caryk are innocent, but suggested that at least one of Hoffman or Karlsson will likely need to be traded: "What we've indicated to [Senators general manager] Pierre [Dorion] is that...it would be very difficult for both parties—both Erik and Mike as well as the wives and the fiancees—to co-exist in the same wives' room and the same dressing room."

Hoffman is signed for two more seasons, while Karlsson has just one year remaining on his contract.

They are arguably Ottawa's two best players. Hoffman has scored 20 or more goals in four consecutive seasons, and Karlsson is a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's top defenseman.

An offseason rebuild was already a possibility for the Senators after they finished last season with just 67 points, which was the second-worst mark in the NHL.