Chicago Blackhawks

The NHL announced Friday it will not punish Kevin Cheveldayoff after an investigation found him not responsible for the improper decisions made within the Chicago Blackhawks organization in 2010.

The current Winnipeg Jets general manager was an assistant GM for the Blackhawks during the 2009-10 season when former player Kyle Beach alleged video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him.

Commissioner Gary Bettman met with Cheveldayoff on Friday and determined he was not responsible for the mishandling of the situation:

While on some level, it would be easiest to paint everyone with any association to this terrible matter with the same broad brush, I believe that fundamental fairness requires a more in-depth analysis of the role of each person. 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.

The investigation stated Cheveldayoff was part of the May 2010 meeting with senior staff that discussed the sexual assault allegation, but it added he was the "lowest ranking Club official in the room."

The May 2010 meeting to discuss the allegations featured general manager Stan Bowman, senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, CEO John McDonough, head coach Joel Quenneville and other senior staff, per NBC Sports Chicago. 

There was no action taken for three weeks following the meeting before human resources was contacted in June. 

Aldrich remained part of the organization and celebrated the team winning the Stanley Cup. He was later given the option to resign. After signing a separation agreement, no investigation into the matter was conducted. He earned a severance and a playoff bonus.

Cheveldayoff spent one more season with the Blackhawks before being named Jets general manager in 2011, but the investigation determined he was "without authority" to make an appropriate decision regarding Aldrich at the time.   

Boston Bruins winger Taylor Hall said hockey culture, which he described as an "old boys' club," must change based on the details released from the investigation into sexual abuse allegations made by former Chicago Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach against then-Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.

Hall discussed the situation in his press conference after Thursday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes:

Taylor Hall when asked by @mattyports about Kyle Beach & the Blackhawks:

"Every culture needs to keep getting better, and hockey's no different. This is a game that's a little bit of what you'd call an old boy's club. ... there needs to be changes." pic.twitter.com/NYtaHZHkGM

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) October 29, 2021

Beach, who was previously only known as John Doe in court documents filed as part of a lawsuit against the Blackhawks, revealed Wednesday he was the player who accused Aldrich of sexual abuse during the team's 2010 playoff run in an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead.

I've been a survivor, I am a survivor. And I know I'm not alone. I know I'm not the only one, male or female. And I buried this for 10 years, 11 years. And it's destroyed me from the inside out. And I want everybody to know in the sports world and in the world that you're not alone. That if these things happen to you, you need to speak up. Because there are support systems.

The report found that Blackhawks did little to address Beach's allegations, including failing to notify the police. Aldrich departed the organization in the offseason and went on to volunteer with a high school hockey team. In 2014, he was sentenced to nine months in jail for sexually assaulting a student at the school.

Beach has received an outpouring of support from the hockey community since coming forward, including several current players applauding him for his courage.

"I'm shocked and it's a terrible thing that has happened," Rangers winger Mika Zibanejad said. "I really feel for him and the victims. It takes a lot of courage to come out and tell his story. Just a terrible situation that shouldn't happen."

Sharks center Logan Couture added: "It's pretty devastating to hear the details and what he went through. I feel for him, and hopefully this will let him heal. And obviously it's not a situation that anyone wants to deal with—especially in this game. Hopefully something like this never happens again."

He's also received support from outside hockey. Former Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, who was among the victims of sexual assault by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, posted a message to Beach on social media:

Kyle Beach I support you & I believe you. Thank you for your bravery. I hope you know you are helping so many. 🤍 I stand with you.

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) October 28, 2021

Meanwhile, those involved in the decision to allow Aldrich to remain with the Blackhawks for the remainder of the 2010 playoffs, which culminated with the team winning the Stanley Cup, have faced the fallout of the report's damning details.

Chicago president of hockey operations Stan Bowman and senior director of hockey administration Al MacIsaac, the last two front-office executives still with the team from 2010, departed the organization. Joel Quenneville, the team's coach in 2010, resigned from his role as the Florida Panthers' head coach.

In addition, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz requested Aldrich's name be removed from the Stanley Cup on Friday.

Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz wrote a letter to Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny MacDonald asking him to remove the name of former Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich from the team's 2010 Stanley Cup championship.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported the news Friday in the wake of the release of a report into the Blackhawks' handling of sexual assault allegations made by former player Kyle Beach against Aldrich in 2010.

The Hall of Fame issued a statement saying the request is "appropriate" and that there will be "further dialogue."  

Hockey Hall of Fame statement on removing Brad Aldrich from the Stanley Cup: pic.twitter.com/DYNmFMJTDF

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) October 29, 2021

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks announced the results of an independent investigation by the Jenner & Block law firm into the organization's handling of the allegations brought against Aldrich during the team's 2010 playoff run.

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 John Doe 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.

Beach revealed himself as John Doe in an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead on Wednesday.

The former Blackhawks prospect told TSN (h/t Kaplan) he reported Aldrich's actions to James Gary, the team's mental skills coach at the time, and the lack of response after the allegations reached key members of the franchise had a deep impact on him:

I reported this and I was made aware that it made it all the way up the chain of command by Doc Gary, and nothing happened. It was like his life was the same as the day before. Same every day. And then when they won, to see him paraded around lifting the Cup, at the parade, at the team pictures, at celebrations, it made me feel like nothing.

It made me feel like I didn't exist. It made me feel like, that I wasn't important and ... it made me feel like he was in the right and I was wrong. And that's also what Doc Gary told me, that it was my fault because I put myself in that situation. And the combination of these and him being paraded around, then letting him take the Stanley Cup to a high school with kids after they knew what had happened.

The Jenner & Block review determined there was a meeting between several high-ranking members of the organization to discuss the situation amid the postseason, but no action was taken as the team went on to win the 2010 Stanley Cup.

Aldrich was let go during the subsequent offseason without police being notified of the allegations. In 2014, he was sentenced to nine months in jail for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct after sexually assaulting a student while working as a volunteer hockey coach at a Michigan high school.

Court documents filed as part of two lawsuits brought against the Blackhawks allege the team gave Aldrich the "most positive reference available" for future jobs after he was let go.

Chicago president of hockey operations Stan Bowman and senior director of hockey administration Al MacIsaac exited the organization after the report went public. There are no executives from the 2010 team still in the team's front office following their departures.

On Thursday, Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville, the Hawks' coach in 2010, resigned from his position after a meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Potentially removing Aldrich's name from the Cup is one of the issues unresolved in the days since the report was released.

Joel Quenneville resigned as head coach of the Florida Panthers on Thursday. 

The move comes amid an investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks' handling of a sexual assault allegation in 2010 when minor league hockey player Kyle Beach said team video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him at his Chicago apartment. 

Statement from Joel Quenneville: pic.twitter.com/4FB4CZ2gyw

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 29, 2021

Statement from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on the resignation of Joel Quenneville. pic.twitter.com/1KjdI2SKOL

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) October 29, 2021

Andrew Brunette will take over Quenneville's former post on an interim basis. ESPN's Kevin Weekes first reported a coaching change was incoming and that John Tortorella will be a potential candidate to take over on a full-time basis.

Quenneville coached Chicago from 2008-2019. He said in July that he had not heard about the allegations until earlier this summer, via ESPN's Michele Steele:

Reporter asks Quenneville if he still stands by the statement he put out in July that he had first learned of the allegations earlier this summer. The report directly contradicts that, with multiple people saying Q was informed in 2010.

Q: "I do but I can't comment"

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) October 27, 2021

However, multiple sources claim Quenneville knew of the allegations in 2010, with Beach being one of them.

Kyle Beach, John Doe in the Blackhawks investigation, talks to @rwesthead about how his NHL experience 'changed forever,’ his reaction to the findings, and support for other victims of sexual assault.

VIDEO: https://t.co/hVG7ZYiY1d pic.twitter.com/vcQYxINOX8

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 27, 2021

"I've witnessed meetings, right after I reported it to [Blackhawks mental skills coach] James Gary, that were held in Joel Quenneville's office. There's absolutely no way that he can deny knowing it," Beach said, per ESPN.com news services.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman (who has since resigned) and mental skills coach Jim Gary said otherwise when interviewed for private firm Jenner & Block's report on the matter, noting that Quenneville was concerned with upsetting chemistry during the team's Stanley Cup-winning run.

"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."

— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) October 26, 2021

Quenneville became the Panthers' head coach on April 8, 2019, and led the team for two-plus seasons.

The entire Jenner & Block report was released Tuesday. Quenneville still coached Wednesday, leading the Panthers to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins that gave them a 7-0 record.

Panthers general manager Bill Zito released a postgame statement:

Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito addressed the media postgame. pic.twitter.com/UrDwvGnZJT

— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) October 28, 2021

Quenneville did not speak with media after the game either.

"In light of this afternoon's news, we felt it appropriate that I address you all," Zito said, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

"Joel will be meeting with commissioner Gary Bettman tomorrow. He has no comments prior to that meeting."

Quenneville met with Bettman in New York on Thursday to discuss his involvement in the Blackhawks sexual assault case. No news emerged from that meeting before reports emerged of the Panthers' coaching change.

Former Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach thanked those who provided him with "endless love and support" after he revealed he was the "John Doe" who said former video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him in 2010.

Beach released a statement Thursday that read in part: "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."

pic.twitter.com/XkWRWaLnBE

— Kyle Beach (@KBeachy12) October 28, 2021

Beach revealed himself as the player during an interview with Rick Westhead of TSN.

"The only way I can describe it is that I felt sick," Beach said when discussing the reality that Aldrich remained with the organization. "I felt sick to my stomach. I reported this and I was made aware that it made it all the way up the chain of command ... and nothing happened. It was like his life was the same as it was the day before."

He also said he was "scared" and "fearful" in part because he "had my career threatened."

The NHL announced it fined the Blackhawks $2 million after the investigation conducted by the law firm of Jenner & Block ended.

General manager Stan Bowman and senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac resigned, and the organization released a statement saying team officials "did not live up to our own standards or values in handling these disturbing incidents."

Reid Schar, who is a partner at Jenner & Block, said Chicago's senior executives were aware of the allegations on May 23, 2010, but did not take action until after the team's run to the Stanley Cup title.

"The decision to take no action from May 23rd to June 14th had consequences," he said while saying Aldrich also made sexual advances on a Blackhawks intern.

Chicago released another statement following Beach's interview with Westhead that praised him for coming forward and noted "it was inexcusable for the then-executives of the Blackhawks organization to delay taking action regarding the reported sexual misconduct. No playoff game or championship is more important than protecting our players and staff from predatory behavior."

A statement from the Chicago Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/x1XbMXDiyA

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 27, 2021

NBC Chicago reported Beach filed a lawsuit against the organization this year, although the Blackhawks have filed motions to dismiss it.       

Former United States Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman tweeted her support for former Chicago Blackhawks prospect Kyle Beach on Thursday after he came forward as the previously unnamed player in an investigation into the Blackhawks' handling of a 2010 sexual assault allegation against a former coach.

Raisman, who previously came forward as a victim of sexual assault by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, tweeted the following:

Kyle Beach I support you & I believe you. Thank you for your bravery. I hope you know you are helping so many. 🤍 I stand with you.

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) October 28, 2021

Beach, who was previously referred to as "John Doe" in a lawsuit against the Blackhawks, announced Wednesday that he was the player who told the organization he had been sexually assaulted and harassed by then-Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, an independent investigation conducted by Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block determined that the Blackhawks took no action when Beach reported the abuse.

Appearing Wednesday on TSN (h/t Kaplan), Beach said he "buried" the secret for 11 years and that it "destroyed me from the inside out."

Six-time Olympic medallist Raisman, 27, was one of several United States gymnasts who came forward about being victims of Nassar. Thanks to testimony from Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and others, Nassar was convicted of multiple sexual assaults and will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Although Aldrich was quietly allowed to resign from the Blackhawks following the 2009-10 season, his name is on the Stanley Cup and he was permitted to have the traditional day with the Cup after Chicago won it in 2010.

With the police not being informed of Beach's allegation and there being no record of it in Aldrich's performance reviews, he was able to continue working in hockey. In 2014, he was sentenced to nine months in prison for sexually assaulting a high school hockey player while volunteering at the school.

The 31-year-old Beach never appeared in an NHL game for the Blackhawks. He currently plays professionally in Germany.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews defended former team executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac as "good people" despite both stepping down from their positions after the release of a report on the team's response to former player Kyle Beach accusing then-assistant coach Brad Aldrich of sexual assault in 2010.

"Make any argument you want, they’re not directly complicit in the activities that happened," Toews told reporters Wednesday. "It’s not up to me to comment on whether they would like to deal with it differently or not. I just know them as people and I’ve had a relationship and friendship with them for a long time as being part of the Blackhawks family.

"How this situation went down, what the timeline was, what they knew, I can’t really comment on that. It’s obviously a tough day. Regardless of the mistakes that may have been made, for someone like Stan who has done so much for the Blackhawks, and Al as well, to lose everything they care about and their livelihoods as well, I don’t understand how that makes it go away—just delete them from existence and that’s it, we’ll never hear from them. So I have a lot of respect for them as people. They're good people."

Investigators found the Blackhawks failed to "promptly and thoroughly investigate" allegations made against Aldrich, a former video coach, during the 2009-10 season. The investigation found that the team knew of the allegations but continued allowing Aldrich to work with the club, in violation of its own policies on sexual misconduct.

The NHL fined the Blackhawks $2 million for what it called "inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response in the handling of matters." Bowman and MacIsaac stepped down from their front-office positions as a result of the investigation. 

"Not that it was a joke, but it was something that wasn’t taken super seriously at the time," Toews told reporters. "I thought Brad being let go or resigning from the organization was the way it was dealt with. ... Had I been more connected to the situation and known some of the more gory details of it, I’d like to say, yeah, I would’ve acted differently in my role as captain."

Beach came forward Wednesday as the "John Doe" listed in a lawsuit against the Blackhawks. Beach said in the lawsuit that he and another player, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, were sexually assaulted by Aldrich and that he reported it to the organization. Beach told TSN on Wednesday that the Blackhawks locker room knew of the assault and made crude jokes toward him (h/t ESPN).

"I was scared mostly," Beach said in an interview on TSN. "I was fearful. I had my career threatened. I felt alone and dark. ... Mostly, I felt like I was alone and there was nothing I could do and nobody I could turn to for help ... as a 20-year-old, I would never dream of, you could never imagine being put in this situation by somebody that's supposed to be there to help you."

Patrick Kane said he knew Beach "pretty well" and wished "back then we could’ve done some different things or known some different things to help him."

Aldrich was sentenced in 2014 to nine months in jail for sexually assaulting a student at a high school where he was able to volunteer after resigning from the Blackhawks without any report being made to the police of Beach's allegations. 

NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr released a statement Wednesday following professional hockey player Kyle Beach's interview with TSN:

Kyle Beach, John Doe in the Blackhawks investigation, talks to @rwesthead about how his NHL experience 'changed forever,’ his reaction to the findings, and support for other victims of sexual assault.

VIDEO: https://t.co/hVG7ZYiY1d pic.twitter.com/vcQYxINOX8

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 27, 2021

Fehr wrote:

Kyle Beach has been through a horrific experience and has shown true courage in telling his story. There is no doubt that the system failed to support him in his time of need, and we are part of that system.

In his media interview, Mr. Beach stated that several months after the incident he told someone at the NHLPA the details of what happened to him. He is referring to one of the program doctors with the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. While this program is confidential between players and the doctors, the grave nature of this incident should have resulted in further action on our part. The fact that it did not was a serious failure. I am truly sorry, and I am committed to making changes to ensure it does not happen again.

Beach said he was sexually assaulted by former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010 and that the team, NHL and NHLPA did not act appropriately in response.

Attorney Reid J. Schar led an independent investigation conducted by private firm Jenner & Block into the allegations as well as the team's response, releasing a public report.

Of note, Schar states the following on the Blackhawks: "What is clear is that, after being informed of Aldrich's alleged sexual harassment and misconduct with a player, no action was taken for three weeks."

Aldrich was also allowed to resign from his position and continue working in hockey without the police being notified of the allegations against him. He was later convicted of having sexual contact with a high school hockey player and served nine months in jail.

Beach also condemned the NHL and NHLPA for not protecting him, calling out Fehr in particular.

"For him to turn his back on the players when his one job is to protect the players at all costs," Beach said. "I don't know how that can be your leader."

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman resigned following the report, as did Al MacIsaac, the team's senior vice president of hockey operations. The league fined Chicago $2 million for "inadequate procedures and mishandling of the 2010 matter related to the conduct of former video coach Brad Aldrich."

Kyle Beach revealed he was the John Doe who said former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assault him.

The 31-year-old spoke with TSN's Rick Westhead in a lengthy interview Wednesday:

Kyle Beach, to TSN, while fighting back tears:

"I was scared, mostly. I was fearful. I had had my career threatened. I felt alone, and dark...

"I felt like I was alone, and there was nothing I could do, and nobody I could turn to for help, and I didn't know what to do."

— Rick Gregg (@rickgregg) October 27, 2021

Kyle Beach: "I did what I thought I had to do to survive, to continue chasing my dream, and that was to not think about it, to not talk about it, to ignore it... My career was on the line, and if I had that in my head, there was no way I was going to be able to perform."

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 27, 2021

Beach said his mother "cried for days" after he first told her of the assault.

"She felt responsible. She felt like she should have protected me and there was nothing she could do," he said. "And after that first conversation with them, we never spoke about it again until very recently. I never brought it up and they respected my privacy."

Beach also said to Westhead how he "suppressed this memory and buried this memory to chase my dreams and pursue the career that I loved."

Westhead first reported in June that skills coach Paul Vincent approached high-ranking officials within the organization in May 2010 to say that two players had told him that a video coach had sexually assaulted them.

Vincent suggested the team forward the allegations to Chicago police, but the officials refused to follow through on the suggestion.

Beach spoke highly of Vincent and told Westhead he "tried to do everything he could back then."

"It's men like him that make hockey great," Beach said.

Aldrich remained with the Blackhawks through the 2009-10 season and partook in the team's on-ice ceremony after winning a Stanley Cup.

"The only way I can describe it is that I felt sick," Beach said of Aldrich continuing to work within the organization. "I felt sick to my stomach. I reported this and I was made aware that it made it all the way up the chain of command ... and nothing happened. It was like his life was the same as it was the day before."

Beach said witnessing the Cup celebrations in particular "made me feel like nothing."

Joel Quenneville was in his second season as Chicago's head coach when Beach made the allegations. The 63-year-old, who's now coaching the Florida Panthers, said in July he was first alerted to the situation through the various media reports.

Beach questioned that timeline, recalling seeing meetings in Quenneville's office after he spoke to mental skills coach James Gary about what Aldrich allegedly did.

The NHL announced Tuesday it fined the Blackhawks $2 million following the completion of an investigation by the law firm of Jenner & Block. The organization also released a statement saying team officials "did not live up to our own standards or values in handling these disturbing incidents."

After the interview, the Blackhawks released another statement:

A statement from the Chicago Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/x1XbMXDiyA

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 27, 2021

In addition to the fine, general manager Stan Bowman and senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac resigned from their posts.

Watching the NHL's investigation draw to a conclusion brought Beach some level of solace.

"I'm just so relieved with the news that came out yesterday, that I've been vindicated, and I can truly begin the healing process," he said to Westhead.

Though the Chicago Blackhawks said they plan to reach a settlement with the plaintiffs in lawsuits over the team's handling of sexual assault allegations against former assistant coach Brad Aldrich, the club still filed a motion to dismiss the suits on Tuesday.

The Blackhawks said the filing to dismiss was procedural to meet a legal deadline, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Investigators released findings of an investigation into the Blackhawks' handling of sexual assault allegations made against Aldrich in 2010 on Tuesday. The investigation found that the team failed "to promptly and thoroughly investigate" the allegations, violating its own policy on sexual harassment, and allowed Aldrich to continue working with the team, providing opportunities for further misconduct.

The Blackhawks were fined $2 million by the NHL for "inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response in the handling of matters" related to allegations made against Aldrich, who was later sentenced to nine months in jail for a separate sexual assault of a high school student.

A former Blackhawks player filed a lawsuit against the club earlier this year detailing sexual assaults perpetrated by Aldrich on himself and another player. Team president Stan Bowman, who was with the club during the 2010 season, resigned and the Blackhawks released a statement apologizing for their inaction. 

"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," the Blackhawks said in a statement. "We deeply regret the harm caused to John Doe 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."

The investigation found no evidence current members of management who were not with the team in 2010 were aware of any of the allegations.