TRIGGER WARNING: The following article contains details and references to sexual assault, which can be disturbing to victims.
The Blackhawks were driven by uncaring self-interest, saying that winning is most important to the organization.
That caused them to ignore an issue arising within the team that was more important and of a serious matter.
They ignored a player’s allegation that he was sexually assaulted by the team’s video coach during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and threatened with harm to his career unless he was kept silent.
In May of 2021, Brad Aldrich, the former video coach of the Blackhawks during their 2010 Stanley Cup run, was accused of sexual assault by two players on the team, with one of them, Kyle Beach, filing a lawsuit against Aldrich and later came forward as “John Doe” from the suit. This sparked a major investigation in the months following the initial report, with lots of pieces moving around the story.
“I am a survivor and I know I’m not the only one, male or female,” Beach said in an interview with Rick Westhead of TSN. “I buried this for 10, 11 years and it’s destroyed me from the inside out.”
In June, the Blackhawks commissioned an independent law firm, Jenner & Block, to conduct a thorough investigation. The investigation was led by Reid Schar, a former assistant US attorney, and the results were handed over to the Blackhawks late in October with a 107-page report.
Beach had a sexual encounter with Aldrich on May 8 or 9 of 2010, during the Blackhawks’ Western Conference Final series against the Sharks, as first reported by Westhead.
The report also said that Beach went to the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach, James Gary, who reportedly dismissed the accusations, allegedly convincing Beach that the sexual assault was his fault and had permitted the assault to happen.
He also went to the NHLPA after that, but even if they said that something will be done about that, nothing came out of them. Beach also said that Aldrich sent him inappropriate texts then threatened him if he did not engage in sexual activity.
Both Aldrich and Beach confirmed to investigators that the encounter happened. Aldrich said it was consensual, while Beach said it was not.
The report said that days later, then-senior director of hockey operations Al MacIsaac was told there might have been a sexual encounter between Aldrich and Beach, and separately that Aldrich might have sent an inappropriate text message.
On May 23, 2010, a group in Blackhawks leadership, which included then-president John McDonough, MacIsaac, general manager Stan Bowman, executive vice president Jay Blunk, assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, head coach Joel Quenneville, and Gary, met to discuss what happened. While there are many things said during the meeting, they did not take action against Aldrich directly after the meeting. He stayed with the Blackhawks through their Stanley Cup celebrations, and was even given a day to celebrate with the Stanley Cup.
The report also mentioned that Aldrich made a sexual advance to a 22-year-old Blackhawks intern, after the organization was aware of the initial allegations.
Several details in the findings implicate the people from the Blackhawks’ front office in 2010. Bowman recalled that after learning of the incident, “Quenneville shook his head and said that it was hard for the team to get to where they were, and they could not deal with this issue now.”
The report also said that numerous Blackhawks players and staff members knew of the allegations but did not act. Some teammates also reportedly teased Beach about the allegations and used anti-gay slurs.
The Blackhawks’ director of human resources met with Aldrich on June 16, giving him the option to undergo an investigation or resign, according to the investigation. However, Aldrich chose to resign, and no investigation was conducted.
Aldrich was also accused of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, involving a former high school hockey player, who was allegedly assaulted by Aldrich, leading to another lawsuit against the former Blackhawks coach for giving him a positive reference letter for employment despite knowing the allegations against him.
In the report, it stated that the 16-year-old player, referred to as “John Doe (2)” in court documents alleged that he was sexually assaulted on March 6, 2013, when Aldrich was an assistant coach on a team in Michigan.
“At an end of season gathering for the players, Aldrich provided alcohol to the then-minor plaintiff and performed oral sex on the plaintiff without his consent,” the six-page lawsuit says.
The lawsuit was filed on May 26, 2021 in Cook Circuit Court in Chicago, weeks after Beach sued the Blackhawks over Aldrich’s alleged behavior, adding that Aldrich was watching pornography and began to masturbate in front of the player without his consent. The plaintiff sought damages in excess of $50,000.
Referring to Beach’s lawsuit, the former high school player alleged that the Blackhawks failed to properly respond to the allegation of sexual assault by Aldrich and failed to investigate him and terminate his employment. Instead, the former high school player’s lawsuit alleged that the Blackhawks “Provided positive references to future employers for Bradley Aldrich as a hockey coach despite having knowledge of his sexual assaults and failed to report Bradley Aldrich to any hockey or coaching organizations of oversight.”
The former high school player’s lawyer, Susan Loggans, wrote in court documents that the Blackhawks acted “with utter indifference or conscious disregard for the safety of others, including plaintiff.”
It’s not clear if the fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving the Blackhawks intern is also “John Doe (2),” but Aldrich is a registered sex offender in Michigan, as reported by Chicago radio station WBEZ.
Moving forward to June 17, 2021, another report came to light from TSN, alleging that the Blackhawks’ front office refused to file a report to Chicago police during the 2010 playoffs in relation to the accusations made against Aldrich.
The TSN article mentions that Bowman, McDonough, MacIsaac, skills coach Paul Vincent, and Gary all met to discuss the allegations. They shared what the players told him about being assaulted and asked the team executives to contact the sex crimes division of the Chicago police. Vincent added that the request was denied.
None of the members were identified or referenced in Beach’s lawsuit.
After the lawsuit was filed, TSN was contacted by someone familiar with Beach’s decision to report the incident to management.
Loggans said in an interview with TSN that Beach’s account is consistent with what she was told by an unidentified independent witness in the case. She said that she planned to call the witness to testify about the Blackhawks’ cover-up of the abuse and said she may ask a judge for the testimony to happen behind closed doors should the case go to trial.
Loggans also confirmed that her client told her that he and another Blackhawks teammate were abused at Aldrich’s apartment in separate incidents during the 2010 season.
Blackhawks spokesman Adam Rogowin declined to comment on the allegations. “With respect to this being an active litigation matter, it is not appropriate for us to comment,” Rogowin wrote in an email to TSN.
Blackhawks lawyer John Stiglich wrote on June 14th that the case should be dismissed because of Illinois’s statute of limitations laws. In Illinois, adult plaintiffs in sexual abuse lawsuits must file their claims within 300 days of an alleged incident or the memories of an incident returning if the person has repressed it, Stiglich wrote.
“While the plaintiff tries to plead his way around the statute of limitations, he acknowledges within his complaint that the conduct at issue occurred in May 2010, that he was immediately aware of the alleged sexual harassment to Gary, that he sought counseling for the alleged sexual harassment in May 2010 [from Gary], and yet he waited 11 years to file his lawsuit against the [Blackhawks],” wrote Stiglich.
Stiglich added that even if Beach repressed his memories of the alleged incident with Aldrich until July 2019, he needed to file the lawsuit before April or May 2020 to avoid statute of limitations issues.
After the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup win, Aldrich left the Blackhawks, with the official reason being to pursue other employment opportunities. He was hired by Miami University in Ohio, as their hockey team’s director of hockey operations in July 2012, before joining a high school hockey team’s coaching staff in Houghton, Michigan.
The sexual assault he did on Beach and the other Blackhawks player, however, was “an open secret” among both inside and outside the Blackhawks.
A former team marketing official with the Blackhawks said that he was told by assistant trainer Jeff Thomas during the 2010 offseason that Aldrich sexually assaulted two players. The official asked for anonymity because he still works in the hockey industry and fears implications from the NHL.
“Brad would routinely befriend young interns and invite them to his apartment in Chicago to watch March Madness basketball and other sports,” said the marketing official. “I was told to steer clear of him because he had tried something at his apartment on a few players. This was not something that only a few people know about. The entire training staff, a lot of people knew... This was an open secret.”
Loggans then asked for a judge to order the Blackhawks to turn over all records relating to the sexual assault. She made 31 separate requests for documents in the court filing.
Among her requests: “Personnel files relating to Bradley Aldrich, including any letters of reference or recommendation” and, “Any emails, phone messages, memos, or other interoffice communications regarding Bradley Aldrich between or among the defendant, the Blackhawks, employers, management employers, and/or executives.”
Stiglich wrote in a court document that Loggans’ request be denied because it was premature. The Blackhawks also asked that the case be dismissed because it was not filed within a limitation period, and that Beach’s complaint should have been made by way of a workers’ compensation claim.
Stiglich wrote that the Blackhawks have “a pending motion to dismiss. If this court grants [the Blackhawks] pending motion to dismiss, then plaintiff’s case will likely be dismissed with the prejudice and render discovery moot. Therefore, the parties should wait until this court renders its decision on [the Blackhawks] pending motion to dismiss before engaging in discovery.”
Beach wrote in an email to TSN, “Every day is a work in progress. It comes when I wake up and much worse when trying to fall asleep, especially in light of all the activity right now. I have not come to terms with it. It is ongoing. I don’t think I will ever fully come to terms with it.”
Beach also told TSN that he has a message to any other players who have been victims of Aldrich but are afraid to come forward.
“I would tell them that it’s very hard to deal with the pain of coming out with what happened,” wrote Beach. “But the minute you come out, the healing begins. It’s very uplifting to know how much support I’m getting from the public and other players.”
The Blackhawks would then hire Schar, a former federal prosecutor, of Jenner and Block LLP to conduct an “independent review” of the Aldrich’s sexual assault on Beach, according to an internal memo that Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz sent to team employees.
“To our Blackhawks family, much has recently been said and written regarding the two lawsuits filed against the organization stemming from alleged events that occurred in 2010,” said Wirtz in a statement. “We want to reiterate to you that we take the allegations described in these lawsuits very seriously. They in no way reflect this organization’s culture or values.”
Loggans said that she welcomed the news of an independent investigation, but she finds it unusual that the team was essentially looking to dismiss Beach’s lawsuit in doing so.
“They don’t have to try to have our case dismissed because of a statute of limitations,” said Loggans. “If they wanted to do the right thing, they could acknowledge that something wrong has occurred, it’s been covered up for 10 years and say that it’s time to do the right thing.”
Miami University in Ohio, where Aldrich once worked, hired Barnes & Thornburg to conduct their own independent investigation of his time at the school.
However, Loggans said that Beach will not cooperate with the Blackhawks’ investigation, and reasonably so.
“The Blackhawks have been lying all along, denying in court documents that this sexual misconduct even took place, so why would we have any faith now in an investigation that has been paid for by the Blackhawks?” said Loggans in an interview with TSN. “Also, there is no assurance from anyone, not at the Blackhawks and not at the NHL, that the results of the team’s investigation will be made public. Why would we bother to participate in an investigation that may ultimately be buried and hidden from public view?”
Even though the Blackhawks wrote in a court filing that the team investigation ended with the allegations being meritless, Beach said that the Blackhawks covered up the assaults, which was corroborated by Vincent, who told TSN that he met with team management in San Jose during the 2010 Western Conference Final and asked that the alleged crimes be reported to police. But the Blackhawks’ management refused.
Loggans originally wanted to allow Beach to be interviewed by attorneys with Jenner & Block, proposing that she would allow him to be interviewed so long as the law firm ensured she would also be able to interview Blackhawks executives from the 2010 Cup run, including Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac, James Gary, and John McDonough. She said her proposal was rejected.
“All I wanted was equal treatment,” said Loggans. “The team says its lawyer is now doing an investigation, and I am doing an investigation. We’re both attorneys with clients. No different. The Blackhawks are just looking to gain credibility by saying it will have another investigation but this is all just window dressing.”
In addition, Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, chief executive of The Army of Survivors, a Michigan-based advocacy group started by survivors of sexual predator Larry Nassar, called on the US Olympic Committee and USA Hockey to make their own independent investigation into Bowman, who was also formerly the general manager of the US Olympic men’s hockey team.
“In good conscience, the right thing for [Bowman] to do is step down or step aside unless and until he is cleared by the governing body’s independent investigation,” said Rivers-Cochran in a phone interview. “Organizations like USA Hockey and the USOC should take the time and effort to do their own investigations independent of the team. That is the way to create more trust with the public.”
Former Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel, who was a member of their 2010 Stanley Cup team, said that almost every player and coach knew about the sexual assault on Beach by Aldrich.
In an interview with TSN, Sopel, who played 22 games for the Blackhawks during the 2010 playoffs, said that the Blackhawks’ locker room discussed about Aldrich during the 2010 Western Conference Final, after Vincent asked Blackhawks management during a meeting in San Jose to report Aldrich’s sexual assault of Beach and the other Blackhawks player that season to the police.
“...I’d say pretty much every player said, ‘Holy sh*t’ and was shocked by it,” said Sopel. “We were all in the same dressing room. It was something that was discussed for at least two or three days. [Then head coach Joel] Quenneville was in the same office as [Adrich]. We heard about it.”
Quenneville, who was the Blackhawks’ head coach in the 2010 Cup run, denied being aware of the allegations.
“The allegations in this lawsuit are clearly serious,” wrote Quenneville. “I first learned of these allegations through the media earlier this summer. I have contacted the Blackhawks organization to let them know I will support and participate in the independent review. Out of respect for all those involved, I won’t comment further while this matter is before courts.”
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, who was the Blackhawks director of player personnel during the 2010 season, also said he was not aware at that time that players made complaints against Aldrich and was not involved in a meeting to discuss them.
Sopel assumed for years that the Blackhawks’ front office alerted authorities following the 2010 season. He added he was wary of speaking publicly on the matter about the scandal out of the fear the Blackhawks might attack his charity, the Brent Sopel Foundation, which raises funds for children who, like him, have battled dyslexia.
“I understand that doing the right thing is hard,” said Sopel. “A lot of those guys who were on that 2009-10 team are still with the Blackhawks getting paid and they’re either still playing, or in broadcasting or coaching, management or scouting or being an ambassador for the team. That’s why they are not saying anything. Guys wanted to protect their jobs. But they should still be doing the right thing and telling the truth publicly about what happened.”
Sopel’s interview with TSN was his first public interview on the scandal after his tweets criticizing the Blackhawks and the NHL on how they handled the abuse allegations.
Jonathan Toews told The Athletic late in June that he first heard about the allegations before training camp in the 2011 season. He said he was “annoyed” when The Athletic quoted Beach, who went under the “John Doe” identity, saying every player on the 2010 team knew about the alleged assaults because “it seemed like it fed the fire a little bit.”
Sopel added that he understands why some players would be hesitant to speak out publicly on sexual abuse.
“Other sports like baseball, basketball, and football, most of those guys are going to university for at least a few years and growing up a bit more,” added Sopel. “In hockey, we’re moving away from home at 15 to play junior hockey, riding 25 hours on a bus. Our lives are only hockey. That’s it. Everything revolves around the sport. Many guys aren’t equipped to talk about anything else.”
Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy said that he was disappointed in the Blackhawks’ response and hopes that other players from the 2010 team publicly verify that the abuse was well-known within the Blackhawks.
“It’s always deny, deny, deny,” said Kennedy. “When you’re making a conscious decision to sweep abuse away and hide it, this is not a mistake. A decision was made and now there’s an ethical responsibility for them to do the right thing. Do they not consider themselves role models for communities and young people? Is this how we want to teach our kids and those people who look up to us how to handle problems?”
Loggans later requested an investigation of Bowman covering up Aldrich’s sexual abuse of Beach and the other Blackhawks player to Dennis Lovatto, an intake coordinator with SafeSport.
“As you know, I represent two sexual assault victims who were attacked by [former Blackhawks video coach] Brad Aldrich,” Loggans wrote in her email. “I am officially requesting an investigation into a coverup of these sexual assaults by Stan Bowman, an NHL team official who also holds a position of major influence with USA Hockey.”
According to the center’s Code, “the privilege of participation in the Olympic and Paralympic movement may be limited, conditioned, suspended, terminated or denied if a participant’s conduct is or was inconsistent with this Code or the best interest of sport and those who participate in it.”
The Code lists nine forms of prohibited conduct, including misconduct related to reporting.
“An adult participant who fails to report actual or suspended sexual misconduct or child abuse to the Center and, when appropriate, to law enforcement may be subject to disciplinary action under the Center’s resolution procedures and may also be subject to federal or state penalties,” the Code says.
“I believe the Center has an obligation and the purview to investigate these allegations of serious wrongdoing because of its connection to the U.S. Olympic Committee, and federal funding of USA Hockey,” Loggans wrote in her email to Lovatto, adding that according to the US Olympic Committee’s tax return, they received $1,649,251 worth of grant money from the US federal government in 2019.
“Have you considered whether Mr. Bowman should be placed on administrative leave from USA Hockey unless and until he’s cleared by a truly independent investigation as opposed to not one commissioned and paid for by the Blackhawks?”
Vincent told investigators investigating the sexual assault allegations that after Beach and the other Blackhawks player told him that they were sexually assaulted by Aldrich, he shared their accounts with both the team’s psychologist and a security officer.
On August 7th, 2021, three lawyers from Jenner & Block were in a Zoom interview to inspect claims that the Blackhawks’ front office covered up the sexual abuse of the two Blackhawks players.
Vincent said that he first learned of the allegations from defenseman Nick Boynton in May 2010 during the Western Conference Final. In the hour-long interview, Vincent said that after talking with Boynton, he spoke with the two alleged victims for about 10 minutes.
“They explain to me what happened,” Vincent told the lawyers from Jenner & Block. “I didn’t need all the details. I knew that it was wrong. They told me that [Aldrich] had tried to touch their penis, wanted to touch their penis. That’s all I needed to know. I said, ‘It’s not my spot. I’m not a police officer anymore. I will go to the proper people.’”
He shared the allegations with James Gary and Brian Higgins, the latter of the two being a security officer. Eric Lifvendahl, Higgins’ attorney, told TSN in an interview that while Beach was part of the Blackhawks for the 2010 season, he did not begin playing for them until October 2010. Lifvendahl said that Vincent’s statement that he told Higgins about the abuse is false. Informed of Higgins’ denial, Vincent said that he stood by his statement to the Jenner & Block lawyers.
The investigators asked him in the interview if the players who were confronted by Aldrich said the words “handjob” or “blowjob.” Vincent answered no. Asked if they were ejaculated on, Vincent also answered no. Asked on if a woman or drugs, such as “roofies” may have been involved in the incidents, Vincent answered he does not know.
Then came the Blackhawks filing motions to dismiss negligence lawsuits related to Aldrich, focusing on the lack of evidence on the second lawsuit by the student identified as “John Doe 2.” The Blackhawks said that the lawsuit lacked the evidence supporting a claim that the Blackhawks sent a recommendation letter to Houghton High School in Michigan on Aldrich’s behalf.
The original version of the second lawsuit, filed in May 24 in Cook County Circuit Court, claimed the Blackhawks “provided positive references to future employers for Bradley Aldrich ... despite having knowledge of his sexual assaults.”
An amended version of the lawsuit, filed on July 21, was less specific in that topic, claiming only the Blackhawks provided a “positive review and/or employment verification of Aldrich to Houghton.”
The Blackhawks said they made a request outside of the court motion to Loggans that she withdrew the claim.
“Plaintiff effectively admits he has no facts to actually establish that [the Blackhawks] did either of these things,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, [the Blackhawks] made a request … that [Loggans] withdraw these allegations because they are demonstrably false.” Because of the motions to dismiss, neither lawsuit went on to the discovery stage, when a letter might surface.
However, The Athletic reported in June that Houghton did not perform a background check on Aldrich. A Sun-Times public records request to Miami University of Ohio returned 50 pages of documents, which included a résumé from Aldrich mentioning the Blackhawks, but no correspondences with the team.
On September 10th, Marci Hamilton, the founder of the advocacy group Child USA, wrote a letter to US Olympic & Paralympic Committee chief executive Sarah Hirshland that Stan Bowman be suspended by USA Hockey for his role in the sexual assault scandal for covering up the assault.
“I write to you today to request the suspension of Stan Bowman from his position as general manager of the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team and that an independent investigation into Bowman’s behavior in his role as general manager of hockey operations of the Blackhawks NHL team be conducted,” wrote Hamilton.
Child USA provided TSN with a copy of Hamilton’s letter, also addressed to USOPC chair Susanne Lyons, its board members, and Elizabeth Ramsey, the executive director of the USOPC’s Athletes’ Advisory Council.
Hamilton also said in a phone interview that she decided to step into the scandal because she sees is as evidence of a pattern. And with a good point.
“This is a paradigm we keep seeing,” said Hamilton. “Not only do we have a perpetrator, but powerful institutions are essentially ignoring the fact that they have an abuser in their midst. This isn’t just a church or a boy scout problem. It’s a societal problem and this is a great example of that.”
Copies of Hamilton’s letter were sent to US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Jerry Moran. Blumenthal and Moran led an 18-month investigation into systematic abuse within the US Olympic movement and backed the passing of the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act, which was official in October 2020, imposing reforms in the Olympic world, forcing more oversight of the coaches and executives controlling the sports.
“What we’re seeing now with the Blackhawks and USA Hockey is shocking not because of the behaviour of the predator,” Hamilton said in an interview. “What’s shocking is that it’s been 19 years since we learned, thanks to the Boston Globe journalists, how the bishops in the Catholic church repeatedly covered up sexual abuse by priests. This hockey case is shocking because by now people should know the proper way to respond to allegations like this.”
Hamilton referred to The Boston Globe’s investigative journalists publishing a series of articles detailing a pattern of sexual abuse of minors by priests and a widespread cover-up back in 2002.
“This investigation is not neutral,” Hamilton wrote in her letter to the USOPC. “A truly independent investigation cannot be funded by the organization whose executives reportedly covered up Aldrich’s abuse. Miami University has opened up an internal investigation, but the scope is limited to the four months he was employed at the University. Bowman is still the general manager of the Blackhawks and earlier this year he was appointed as the general manager of the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team for the 2022 Beijing Games. How could Bowman, who has been publicly accused of covering up the abuse of a serial predator, be allowed to lead USA Hockey and represent our country at the international level?”
Hamilton also referred in her letter to USOPC to disgraced USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in 2018 after more than 150 women and girls in court said that he sexually abused them over two decades.
“Just as there is a public demand for accountability and transparency from USA Gymnastics in light of the Nassar abuse case, I ask for accountability from USOPC regarding Bowman’s alleged role in covering up Aldrich’s abuse,” wrote Hamilton. “It is unacceptable to allow Bowman to serve in his role as General Manager of the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team while an investigation is ongoing. ... I request that Bowman be removed from USA Hockey, or at the very least be put on leave while a truly independent investigation considers his response to Aldrich’s abuse. How many more cases and cover ups of abuse need to occur for USOPC to finally take sexual abuse seriously?”
However, the USOPC rejected Hamilton’s request to suspend Bowman from his general manager position of the US Olympic Men’s hockey team.
In an email to TSN, USOPC spokesman Jon Mason wrote that the US Center for SafeSport is the appropriate organization to investigate Bomwan’s cover-up of the Aldrich sexual abuse. “The U.S. Center for SafeSport was created as an independent organization dedicated to receiving and investigating reports of sexual misconduct and harassment, and emotional and physical abuse within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements,” wrote Mason. “The Center has the exclusive jurisdiction over participants, and to investigate and resolve allegations involving child abuse or sexual misconduct, including failure to report such allegations.”
Mason refused to say on if the USOPC would consult with the center for SafeSport about the request made by Hamilton to suspend Bowman. “At this point, I’ll have to direct you to the center for any additional information,” wrote Mason.
Hamilton wrote in a text message to TSN that she is awaiting an official response by her request from USOPC. “SafeSport doesn’t select the summer and winter Olympic coaches and SafeSport has an opaque, slow and ineffective system,” wrote Hamilton. “That’s USOPC once again avoiding its own responsibility for athlete safety and for the sex abuse that runs through athletics.”
The US Center for SafeSport is aware of the scandal. An intake coordinator for them contacted a lawyer for Beach and John Doe 2 to inform her that the center received a report concerning Bowman’s misconduct.
Aldrich’s day with the Stanley Cup was synonymous to a letter of reference that helped him get other jobs in the hockey world, per a lawyer for the former high school hockey player suing the Blackhawks.
In the court documents, Loggans alleged that the Blackhawks offered a “non-verbal” recommendation of Aldrich by allowing him to have a day with the Stanley Cup even after Beach and the other Blackhawks player told the team’s management that they were sexually assaulted by Aldrich and requested the team to report him to Chicago police.
“Most definitely there was communication between the Blackhawks and Houghton,” Loggans wrote in a 41-page court filing. “At the very least, there was non-commercial. The Blackhawks gave Mr. Aldrich the actual Stanley Cup to take to Houghton to show it off. The Cup was inscribed with Mr. Aldrich’s name. Standing alone, this communication vouches for Mr. Aldrich’s suitability as a coach... In other words, the Blackhawks ‘sent’ Mr. Adrich to Houghton with the most positive reference available—the Stanley Cup, engraved with his name. They did this at a time when they knew of Aldrich’s sexual exploitation of its players.”
While the Blackhawks claimed that the statute of limitations expired before the lawsuit was filed, Loggans rejected the argument. She further wrote that the player repressed his memory of being assaulted by Aldrich until he learned of his 2013 criminal conviction in July 2019. This is when the two-year-old statute of limitations should begin, wrote Loggans.
“Illinois law is settled that the statute of limitations does not begin to run until the plaintiff knows or reasonably should know that he has been injured and that his injury was wrongfully caused,” wrote Loggans. “In this case, plaintiff reported the assault, and the team psychologist [James Gary] minimized the assault and blamed plaintiff for it. The assaulter, Mr. Aldrich, threatened to ruin plaintiff’s hockey career if he did not keep quiet about the assault. Plaintiff spent the next nine years ignoring and suppressing memories of the assault until he learned that Mr. Aldrich was convicted of molesting a 16-year-old boy. It was only at this time that plaintiff reflected on his own victimization and how it had affected his life.”
Loggans further wrote that the Blackhawks did not doubt Beach’s allegations when he reported them.
“The Blackhawks’ goal [was] to win the Stanley Cup and keep its image clean,” said Loggans. “Despite the fact that [they] believed Doe’s claims, and were told to report Aldrich’s comment to the police, the Blackhawks blamed Doe for the abuse and made him believe he had caused the problem. This is not a case where an employer simply failed to investigate after being told of an employee’s wrongdoing. The Blackhawks here took concerted action to intimidate and confuse Doe. He was threatened with never playing hockey in the NHL if he made his allegations public.”
Then on October 26, everything would come to light: Jenner & Block would release their 107-page report on the findings in relation to the Blackhawks and Aldrich.
The NHL would then fine the Blackhawks just $2 million “for the organization’s inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response in the handling of matters related to former video coach Brad Aldrich’s employment with the Club and ultimate departure in 2010.”
According to a statement, the NHL and the Blackhawks agreed to send $1 million of the fine money “to fund local organizations in and around the Chicago community that provide counseling and training for, and support and assistance to, survivors of sexual and other forms of abuse.”
“We acknowledge that the Blackhawks have taken responsibility and ownership for what transpired, and have already implemented new preventative measures, as well as committed to additional changes that may be deemed appropriate as part of its responsive plan of action to the investigation and Report,” commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “Having said that, today’s fine represents a direct and necessary response to the failure of the Club to follow-up and address the 2010 incident in a timely and appropriate manner. And, this response should send a clear message to all NHL Clubs and all NHL personnel that inappropriate acts must be addressed in a timely fashion. In that regard, we also reiterate that the League has implemented a confidential and anonymous Hot Line, which is available at any time to all NHL personnel.”
The investigation included interviews with 139 people, which included past and former players, executives, coaches, and other team employees. Investigators also collected over 100 gigabytes of electronic records and 49 boxes of hard copy records.
While the investigation took note of the meeting held on May 23, 2010 between Stan Bowman, John McDonough, Jay Blunk, Al MacIsaac, Joel Quenneville, and Kevin Cheveldayoff to determine how the team would proceed with the discussion of the sexual assault, no action was taken until June 14, when the Blackhawks completed their quest for the Stanley Cup, when they gave Aldrich the option to either resign or undergo an investigation, to which he chose to resign and not undergo an investigation.
After the findings of the investigation were public, Bowman and MacIsaac resigned from their roles with the Blackhawks, with Bowman also stepping down from his role with USA Hockey hours later. In Bettman’s statement, he indicated that Bowman, MacIsaac, Blunk and McDonough would need to meet with him before “accepting any NHL Club-related position in order to determine the appropriate conditions under which such new employment might take place.”
Bowman later released a statement:
Eleven years ago, while serving in my first year as general manager, I was made aware of potential inappropriate behavior by a then-video coach involving a player. I promptly reported the matter to the then-President and CEO who committed to handling the matter. I learned this year that the inappropriate behavior involved a serious allegation of sexual assault. I relied on the direction of my superior that he would take appropriate action. Looking back, now knowing he did not handle the matter promptly, I regret assuming he would do so.
Prosecutor Reid Schar’s investigation found that Aldrich’s assault of Beach was known by management, including Bowman, McDonough, MacIsaac, Blunk, Quenneville, and Cheveldayoff.
Cheveldayoff also released a statement, saying he “shared everything I know about this matter as part of my participation in Jenner & Block’s investigation. That is reflected in today’s investigation report. Further, I look forward to my discussion with Commissioner Bettman at the soonest possible date to continue to cooperate fully with the National Hockey League. I will reserve any further comment until after that conversation has been conducted.”
Both Quenneville and Cheveldayoff denied knowing anything about the allegations in the summer.
The Blackhawks later released a team statement apologizing to Beach and the other former Blackhawk and promised to do better:
It is clear the organization and its executives at that time did not live up to our own standards or values in handling these disturbing incidents. We deeply regret the harm caused to [Kyle Beach] and the other individuals who were affected and the failure to promptly respond. As an organization, we extend our profound apologies to the individuals who suffered from these experiences. We must—and will—do better.
There was no word on what “changes and improvements” are within the Blackhawks, however.
Bowman said that the reason he resigned, though, was because he “didn’t want to become a distraction” while the team focuses on their future.
Yeah, right.
Bowman was convinced that he would not keep his job in the wake of the scandal, and believed that the guilty party was McDonough, who allegedly told the Blackhawks that he would handle the allegations.
The day before the Jenner & Block findings were released, Bowman thought he could keep his role as the general manager of the Blackhawks, per sources. He recently completed building a new condo close to the United Center, a sign that he thought he could remain with the team for the future. However, once ownership heard of the report, it became apparent to them that Bowman needed to resign.
The circumstances of MacIsaac’s resignation are vague, but it appeared that he was forced to resign too. The current front office on the Blackhawks does not have any members from the 2010 Stanley Cup-winning team.
Team owner Rocky Wirtz, and his son, Danny, the team’s CEO, said they were made aware of the allegations when Beach filed the lawsuit in May. Nothing in the report suggested otherwise.
On the day after Jenner & Block released the report, and the resignations of Bowman and MacIsaac, Beach officially stepped forward as John Doe 1 in a 25-minute interview with Rick Westhead of TSN. After Beach came forward, the hockey community rallied around the player for his courage and conviction in speaking his truth.
The day after Beach stepped forward, Quenneville announced his resignation as head coach of the Panthers. Quenneville also released a statement in his resignation:
With deep regret and contrition, I announce my resignation as head coach of the Florida Panthers. I want to express my sorrow for the pain this young man, Kyle Beach, has suffered. My former team the Blackhawks failed Kyle and I own my share of that. I want to reflect on how all of this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone.
Panthers team President and CEO Matthew Caldwell also released a statement:
After the release of the Jenner & Block investigative report on Tuesday afternoon, we have continued to diligently review the information within that report, in addition to new information that has recently become available. It should go without saying that the conduct described in that report is troubling and inexcusable. It stands in direct contrast to our values as an organization and what the Florida Panthers stand for. No one should ever have to endure what Kyle Beach experienced during, and long after, his time in Chicago. Quite simply, he was failed. We praise his bravery and courage in coming forward.
Quenneville was in his third season behind the bench in Florida, leading the Panthers to a 7-0-0 start to the season. At the time of his resignation, he had two years and more than $15 million left on his contract.
Bettman also acknowledged that “all parties” agreed it was no longer appropriate for Quenneville to keep his coaching job when the word of his involvement in the scandal came to light.
Furthermore, Bettman said that no further action would be taken against Quenneville for now, but if Quenneville does look to get back to coaching, Bettman “would require a meeting with him in advance to determine the appropriate conditions under which such new employment might take place.”
Cheveldayoff, however, was not disciplined by the NHL for the handling of the sexual assault scandal. In his statement, Bettman said on the lack of discipline against Cheveldayoff:
Kevin Cheveldayoff was not a member of the Blackhawks senior leadership team in 2010, and I cannot, therefore, assign to him responsibility for the Club’s actions, or inactions. He provided a full account of his degree of involvement in the matter, which was limited exclusively to his attendance at a single meeting, and I found him to be extremely forthcoming and credible in our discussion.
Bettman later held a press conference with the media to talk about this case and the fates of Quenneville and Cheveldayoff.
On Quenneville’s resignation and his decision to coach the Panthers’ 7th game of the season:
Should Quenneville had coached on Wednesday night? I’m sure people could quibble with that. But he’s already coached 867 games at that point and I didn’t want him to think I had pre-judged him at that point.
Cheveldayoff placed himself in the May 23, 2010 meeting. While he released a statement that he had “no knowledge of any allegations” against Aldrich, the Jenner & Block investigation said otherwise. He said he wasn’t made sure of the situation until being asked about it in the end of his two-season tenure with the Blackhawks.
He acknowledged he was in the room on the May 23, 2010 meeting with other Blackhawks executives in a news conference with Jets owner Mark Chipman, with the Blackhawks executives, but maintained he did not know immediately the depth of the allegations. He was the only executive to place himself in the meeting, but everyone else who was interviewed did not remember he was present.
“I was asked to walk into a meeting that was ongoing,” Cheveldayoff said. “I was then asked if I had heard any allegations or if I had known of any rumors or anything like that regarding Brad Aldrich and any of the players. I replied that I had not. My involvement in that meeting after that was none.”
“Kyle was failed by a system that should have helped him,” he added. “But it did not, and I’m sorry that my own assumptions about that system were clearly not good enough.”
Beach later released a statement on his twitter (@KBeachy12), thanking his well-wishers for their support and reflecting briefly on the case becoming public:
I have immense gratitude for the outpouring of endless love and support that has come through within the past 48 hours. Although the results of the private investigation have been released, and the Blackhawks have apologized, my battle is really just beginning as the Blackhawks continue to attempt to destroy my case in court. While I take this time to reflect and continue the healing process, it is a reminder that this is not about me as an individual. This is to promote open communication that will facilitate change for the future—to promote safety, as well as the health and well-being of society as a whole. Thank you.
After Beach’s interview, the NHL sent out a leaguewide memo titled “Fostering a Safe and Inclusive Culture.” This document stated that anyone associated with the NHL is “required to immediately report” any conduct “clearly inappropriate, unlawful, or demonstrably abusive” directly to Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
The day before the memo went out, the NHL disclosed they have set up a confidential and anonymous hotline for league personnel to share any misconduct encountered.
After an NHLPA conference call with roughly 80 players, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr recommended that the union hire a law firm for an independent review on the handling of the scandal.
The NHLPA executive board, consisting of one representative from every team, will vote on whether or not to conduct this review. The call was arranged as players continue to seek answers from the NHLPA on its role and how they could have better supported Beach.
The investigative report also said that Fehr was made aware of the allegations by one of Beach’s confidants, in December 2010. Beach was referred to the league’s substance abuse and behavioral health program. Fehr also said that “the system failed to support [Beach] in his time of need.”
Beach, however, said that Fehr was singing a different tune back then.
“I know I reported every single detail to an individual at the NHLPA, who I was put in contact with after,” Beach said in his interview with TSN. “I believed two different people talked to Don Fehr. And for him to turn his back on the players when his one job is to protect the players at all costs, I don’t know how that can be your leader. I don’t know how he can be in charge.”
When Bettman was asked about the Coyotes fined draft picks for combine violations, the Devils $3 million for cap circumvention on the Ilya Kovalchuk contract talks, and the Blackhawks only $2 million for the handling of the sexual assault scandal, he commented, “Different context, different facts.”
Excuse me?
The Blackhawks getting fined just $2 million for the biggest scandal the NHL has seen in modern history while fining the Devils $3 million for the handling of the Ilya Kovalchuk contract and the Coyotes draft picks for combine violations is messed up.
Seriously, it is.
This is setting a dangerous precedent for future generations for hockey players. Even though Rocky Wirtz requested for Aldrich’s name to be crossed off on the Stanley Cup, and that he got his request, it does not change the fact that hockey culture is rotten to the core.
This incident adds yet another reminder that suffering and hate is what the sport is built upon. Further proof of that is with Mike Babcock’s verbal abuse on his former players and Bill Peters using racial slurs against Akim Aliu and physically abusing Michal Jordan.
Let this be ingrained into the conscience of the Blackhawks organization and those in the NHLPA who didn’t follow up after Beach consulted an NHLPA-affiliated therapist.
Let’s go back to what Fehr said. “There is not doubt that the system failed to support him in his time of need, and we are part of that system,” he said. “I am truly sorry, and I am committed to making changes to ensure that does not happen again.”
Saying you’re sorry is not good enough.
The fact that the Blackhawks got fined $2 million for this scandal yet fine $3 million for attempting to circumvent the salary cap with the signing of Kovalchuk shows how little the NHL cares about a human being’s life and career.
And don’t let the statements of Bowman and Quenneville fool you. They did nothing to stop Aldrich’s behavior to help Beach. The same thing goes for the players who taunted Beach with homophobic slurs he heard in the locker room and on the ice.
And it also goes to their team captains at that time—Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, and Duncan Keith. Can they even live with knowing they did not condemn a sexual predator? What if Aldrich targeted their family? And why did nobody in the front office wanted Aldrich away from the team until an investigation can take place?
In that 107-page report from Schar, which included accounts from 139 witnesses ranging from players to coaches to executives, even though the investigation was paid for and commissioned by the Blackhawks, it did not paint them in a favorable light.
As said before, Bowman recalled McDonough saying that the timing of Beach’s allegations was delicate because the Blackhawks might never have another deep playoff run, and that McDonough and Quenneville spoke on the challenge of guiding a team through the playoffs in the midst of the scandal. Bowman also recalled that McDonough said he would handle the situation.
McDonough, however, recalled little of the meeting and did not remember discussing who would address what happened.
The report said that at a minimum, team executives knew about the scandal and the advances Aldrich made, but did nothing.
Toews even embodied the boys’ club thinking that dawdles throughout the NHL by defending Bowman and MacIsaac. “They’re not directly complicit in the activities that happened ... They’re good people,” said Toews.
“Good people,” you say? This is far from the case, because good people don’t ignore the accusations of sexual assault against a 20-year-old.
Hockey is a sport where people put blades on their shoes and skate around on an ice surface for our entertainment. While we love the sport, the sport does not love us back, apparently.
The sport of hockey has had a long history with toxic culture. To fight back, we need to hold those responsible accountable, speak out against injustices, and lobby more for the oversight of those in charge, which is just the beginning for how we can bring change.
All of the Blackhawks’ front office knew about the sexual assault allegations against Aldrich, but they did nothing about that to disrupt team chemistry on their quest for their first Stanley Cup in 49 years.
This scandal is shameful and embarrassing no matter how you look at it. Keeping quiet to protect team chemistry while a young player is suffering is inexcusable and shows a horrific neglect of duty care.
No matter how severe of a punishment the Blackhawks get, it will not make up for the trauma Beach faced. Though they cleaned up the house and the NHL fined them $1 million fewer than the fine the Devils got for cap circumvention when signing Kovalchuk, nothing will repair what was lost.
There was no justice served here in a 12-year-old case where the punishments came after the celebrations have ended and the confetti has dissipated on the Blackhawks’ dynasty.
Ladies and gentlemen, hockey culture at its finest.
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