By Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer
It has been over two months since the Jenner and Block report revealed that Chicago Blackhawks had covered up the sexual assault of a player, now identified as Kyle Beach, by former video coach Brad Aldrich. I first wrote an article about the issue after the report first came out. Since that article there has been a lot of momentum, some good and some bad when it comes to holding those responsible for the cover-up accountable. So here is an update on where things stand after the Jenner and Block report and brave testimony of Kyle Beach and John Doe 2.
Personnel:
Joel Quenneville, the former Blackhawks head coach, was allowed to resign from his position as head coach of the Florida Panthers. He did so after a meeting with NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman. The meeting concluded that should Quenneville want to work in the NHL again, he would have to meet with Bettman before taking the job. It seems unlikely that he will work in the NHL again for a while.
Kevin Cheveldayoff, the former assistant General Manager of the Blackhawks, met with Bettman and was allowed to remain at his post as General Manager of the Winnipeg Jets and faced absolutely no punishment for his role in the cover-up. Bettman justified this action by stating that Cheveldayoff’s involvement was minimal, despite being named in the report. It was determined that because of Cheveldayoff’s position, his level of knowledge and agency was diminished. It seems almost preposterous that the league would not punish a top executive who was indicated to be at the meeting when the cover-up was decided on. That was Commissioner Bettman’s decision, but whether it was a good decision or not is up for debate.
Jonathan Toews, captain of the Blackhawks back in 2010 and currently despite his failure as a leader and as a captain. He still wears the C and even though his second statement to the media was better than the first, he lied about knowing about what happened to Kyle Beach and allowed homophobic abuse to occur within his locker room. Like Cheveldayoff, Toews escaped accountability for his role in this entire cover up.
The NHL’s response:
The NHL had a tumultuous press conference to address the report. It started off right with Bettman apologizing to Beach for the horrific ordeal he went through. Bettman reportedly met with Beach to discuss how the NHL can protect players in the future. They failed to call on reporter Rick Westhead, the reporter who first broke the story, for most of the Zoom press conference. It actually took another reporter, Pierre Lebrun, to point out that Westhead had not been called on for Commissioner Bettman to call on him. Westhead’s question was very pertinent. He asked if the NHL would offer counseling and other services to John Doe 2, a former Michigan high school hockey player who was assaulted by Aldrich too. Aldrich was able to obtain his subsequent jobs at University of Miami in Ohio and Houghton High School because the Blackhawks failed to report Aldrich to the proper authorities, investigate him, or even mention the allegations in any of the reports on him. Bettman’s answer left much to be desired as he failed to give a clear yes or no, saying he needs “more information before committing” even though the Jenner and Block report is plenty information. Bettman said later that the NHL would not support John Doe 2 who was traumatized as a result of bad actors from within the league.
John Doe 2’s mother spoke out publicly in an interview with Westhead and said how the NHL’s dismissal of her son’s trauma has negatively impacted him. It is important to remember that the NHL and Blackhawks organization failed John Doe 2 as well as Beach and should take responsibility for what happened to both of them at the hands of a man they not only employed but protected.
The Chicago Blackhawks Organization and Lawsuit:
The Chicago Blackhawks organization tried to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Beach after promising in their earlier press conference to settle. They said that the case was past the statute of limitations and challenged Beach’s reports of repressed memories. It is very common for survivors of traumatic events, including sexual assault, to repress the memories in order to cope and attempt to move forward with their lives. Considering that Beach was told by team and league officials that assault was his fault or that he was lying about the assault as well as being bullied by his own teammates, it makes sense that he would repress the traumatic memory of what Aldrich did to him. However, the Blackhawks failed to get the lawsuit dismissed and reached a confidential settlement with Beach. The lawyer for both Beach and John Doe 2 now plans to go forward with the John Doe 2 lawsuit. Since Beach received a settlement, which means the Blackhawks acknowledge wrongdoing, she is hopeful that John Doe 2’s lawsuit will also be settled.
There is still a lot of headway that is needed for justice to be properly served to the victims of Brad Aldrich and the Chicago Blackhawks, but is the NHL capable of that? Under Commissioner Bettman it doesn’t look like that will happen. Cheveldayoff is still employed, Toews remains captain of the Blackhawks, and the NHL has abandoned John Doe 2. There has also not been much made public about how to prevent another situation like what happened to Beach and John Doe 2. Hockey culture claims to be virtuous. It’s all about working hard, earning your stripes, and caring about the team; but what it has been revealed to be is all about winning even if it means sacrificing your morals and principles to do it. Where was the team for Beach? What is the NHL “family” doing to help John Doe 2? The stories of Kyle Beach and John Doe 2 are more than just an indictment of the NHL, they are an indictment of hockey culture itself.