When $92,000,000 Pittsburgh Penguins newest signing's wife sued Mike Hoffman's partner for online harassment

In June 2018, Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson's wife, Melinda Karlsson, filed an application for an order of protection against Monika Caryk, the longtime girlfriend (now wife) of Sharks forward Mike Hoffman. They were both playing for the Ottawa Senators back then.

Melinda alleged a season-long campaign of online harassment and cyberbullying against Monika and her husband. This included threats and derogatory statements after the death of their son in March 2018. The application was sworn in early May and an active Ottawa police investigation was launched.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson's wife, Melinda Karlsson’s sworn statement to the court:

“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 and Caryk denied the allegations, stating they had nothing to do with the harassment. The situation threatened to disrupt the team's locker room, and there was speculation about potential trades involving both Karlsson and Hoffman.

The Ottawa Senators announced their investigation into the matter, and Caryk maintained her willingness to cooperate.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson and the dispute

In September 2018, Caryk alleged that Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson's wife Melinda provided no evidence to support their claims. She initiated legal proceedings by filing a factum with the Ontario Superior Court in August 2018, requesting a Norwich order.

It was aimed to clear her name and obtain any evidence the Karlssons might have against her. Caryk claimed that the public nature of the allegations severely damaged her reputation, well-being and even safety.

Caryk's factum offered a glimpse into her perspective, stating that she and Melinda initially began as friends and later became "civil." However, she admitted that they had "issues" and acknowledged feeling left out from dinners and social events organized by Melinda.

To investigate the source of the allegations, Caryk suspected anonymous posts on a sports gossip website called Talk-Sports were being connected to her.

Caryk sought assistance from an IT contact, Kevin Horrocks, who analyzed IP addresses associated with the negative posts on Karlsson's fan page. Horrocks' report concluded that none of the IP addresses matched Caryk's, thus attempting to clear her name from any wrongdoing.

The media attention surrounding the case led to approximately 100 negative messages and even death threats directed at Caryk.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson and his wife, Melinda, established a charitable organization named Can't Dim My Light to raise awareness about the effects of bullying and cyberbullying.