NHL Central

Former Blackhawks assistant coach John Torchetti corroborated multiple reports that team leadership decided not to call the sex crimes division of the Chicago Police after two players accused then-video coach Bradley Aldrich of sexual assault during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Torchetti, who was an assistant to head coach Joel Quenneville from 2007 to 2010, told TSN's Rick Westhead he recalls skills coach Paul Vincent relaying what two players had told him about Aldrich's alleged abuse. Torchetti said Vincent, a former Massachusetts police officer, told him of the May 17, 2010, meeting with the front office at a hotel in San Jose, California.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing when Paul told me what the players had said to him," Torchetti said. "We talked about it and he said, with the players' permission, he had to go and take this to management to be dealt with. I remember after the meeting, Paul told me all the brass were in there and that they had said no to going to the police."

Vincent told TSN the meeting consisted of him, team sports psychologist James Gary, president John McDonough, vice president Al MacIsaac and general manager Stan Bowman.

The Blackhawks are currently facing two lawsuits over Aldrich's alleged abuse. The first from a player on the 2010 Stanley Cup-winning team, known in court documents as John Doe (1), who says the team ignored accusations against Aldrich. The second from a former high school hockey player in Michigan, referred to as John Doe (2). Aldrich pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct with him in 2013. John Doe (2) says the Blackhawks gave Aldrich a letter of recommendation after covering up sexual abuse claims three years earlier.

Former Chicago defenseman Brent Sopel (2007-2010), and forward Daniel Carcillo (2011-2013) called out both the NHL and the Blackhawks for their lax response:

Aldrich is now a registered sex offender in the state of Michigan. The Blackhawks are petitioning the Cook County Court to dismiss the player's lawsuit because of the statute of limitations.

"It's so upsetting, it's so glaring, because of what this guy was able to do after he left the Blackhawks," Torchetti said. "You have to know what kind of guy Paul Vincent is. This guy is loyal to a fault, the most loyal guy you are going to meet in the game. His background helps explain why he gets so upset about issues like abuse."

Another unnamed player on the 2010 Blackhawks told Mark Lazerus, Katie Strang and Scott Powers of The Athletic that "every guy on the team knew about" the allegations in 2010. The coach departed the franchise shortly after the team won the Stanley Cup, joining Miami (Ohio) University's hockey program for four months before leaving his post as allegations of unwanted sexual touching surfaced. He then worked as a volunteer high school coach in Michigan, where he would be convicted in 2013.

Miami is currently conducting an independent investigation of Aldrich's time at the university. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic the league is not investigating the matter and didn't respond when asked what it would take for the NHL to step in.

A lawyer representing a former Chicago Blackhawks player suing the club is seeking all team records related to her client's alleged sexual abuse by video coach Bradley Aldrich in 2010, per TSN's Rick Westhead. 

Attorney Susan Loggans filed a document in Cook County Court on behalf of the former player—identified as "John Doe (1)" in legal proceedings—for all "emails, meetings notes and other records" pertaining to the player's claims. 

Per Westhead:

Loggans made 31 separate requests for documents in her 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.”

Loggans has also asked for any records relating to a Blackhawks senior leadership meeting on May 17, 2010, when then-Blackhawks president John McDonough, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, general manager Stan Bowman and team sports psychologist James Gary learned of the alleged abuse from then-skills coach Paul Vincent. Despite Vincent's recommendation to alert Chicago police to multiple allegations of sexual abuse, the team reportedly did not reach out to local authorities. 

Aldrich, a registered sex offender in Michigan, remained with the Blackhawks for the duration of the team's successful Stanley Cup run in 2010 before departing in the offseason. In a separate lawsuit filed against the team, a former high school hockey player referred to as "John Doe (2)" alleged the Blackhawks covered up the abuse and gave Aldrich a letter of recommendation, allowing the coach to continue working in the sport and allegedly continue abusing minors and young men. 

The 38-year-old Aldrich pleaded guilty to criminal sexual contact for sexually abusing "John Doe (2)" in 2013, three years after allegedly abusing two players in Chicago. 

In between the reported incidents, Aldrich spent four months working for the Miami (Ohio) University hockey team. The school has since begun an independent investigation of the coach's time there. 

Blackhawks attorney John Stiglich is seeking to dismiss the case due to Illinois' statute of limitations. Stiglich asked the court to dismiss Loggans' records request, calling the move premature with the team's motion to dismiss still pending. Additionally, the Blackhawks argued the complaint should've been made through a workers' compensation claim. 

Loggans told TSN she plans to issue subpoenas to current and former Blackhawks employees if the case proceeds and intends to depose at least four unnamed team officials. In the meantime, her records request includes:

•  "Documents sent to or received from the NHL Players’ Association relating to 'John Doe (1)' and the full and complete personnel file of 'John Doe (1)' and 'any and all training manuals, videos, instruction materials you utilize to train hockey players regarding how to handle all media appearances, press related meetings, and/or interviews.'”
• "Documents sent to or received from the Chicago Police Department regarding investigations into any employee of the NHL team."
• "All of the team’s records relating to 'each allegation of sexual exploitation, whether or not credible, made against any of employees and/or agents of defendant, the Blackhawks.'"

Earlier Friday, Mark Lazerus, Katie Strang and Scott Powers of The Athletic reported players on the Blackhawks knew about Aldrich's alleged abuse. 

“We have been in contact with the Club regarding the matter but there is no ongoing investigation," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the outlet via email. "We do not have any further comment at this time.”

Daly did not respond to a follow-up question by The Athletic asking what would prompt the league to take action. 

An unnamed member of the 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks roster said everybody on the team was aware of the alleged sexual assault of two players by former video coach Brad Aldrich.

"Every guy on the team knew about it," the player told Mark Lazerus and Katie Strang of The Athletic on Friday. "Every single guy on the team knew."

One of the players filed a lawsuit in April alleging the Blackhawks ignored his report. He stated Aldrich "threatened to injure (him) ... physically, financially and emotionally if the plaintiff did not engage in sexual activity," and he sought $150,000 in damages in the case. The team said those allegations "lack merit."

TSN's Rick Westhead reported last week that two players had told skills coach Paul Vincent about the alleged sexual assaults by Aldrich, and Vincent relayed the information during a May 2010 meeting with several members of the Blackhawks front office at the time—president John McDonough, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, general manager Stan Bowman and team sports psychologist James Gary.

A source told Westhead that Vincent's effort to have to inform the Chicago police were "rejected," and Aldrich remained a member of the coaching staff for the rest of the season. The Hawks went on to win that year's Stanley Cup.

"I trust [Vincent] over the front office," former Chicago defenseman Nick Boynton told The Athletic. "He's a stand-up guy."

Aldrich left the Hawks after the 2010 campaign. He went on to have two stints as a volunteer coach at Houghton High School in Michigan sandwiched around a four-month stint at Miami University in Ohio. The college is investigating his time with the program, per The Athletic.

In June, a former Houghton player filed a lawsuit against the Blackhawks alleging they gave Aldrich "positive references to future employers" despite knowledge of prior sexual assault allegations. Aldrich admitted to sexually assaulting the player in 2013.

The Blackhawks player who told The Athletic everybody on the team was aware of the allegations is frustrated the Hawks didn't do anything with the information provided by members of the roster.

"That doesn't bother me, that they let him take pictures with the Cup," he said. "What bothers me is they fired him, but they didn't take it to the cops. ... They let him get a job with a U-18 team. They let him go work with minors. They let this happen."

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly released a statement to The Athletic about the allegations: "We have been in contact with the Club regarding the matter but there is no ongoing investigation. We do not have any further comment at this time."

Aldrich told The Athletic he had "no comment" when asked six questions about the allegations.

The Chicago Blackhawks failed to aid police with an investigation into their former video coach, Bradley Aldrich, over potential unwanted sexual contact with minors and young adult men, according to WBEZ's Tony Arnold and Dave McKinney.

Aldrich pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct toward a Michigan high school hockey player in 2013, but police reports obtained by Arnold and McKinney show that he was investigated for other alleged "inappropriate" and "uncomfortable" sexual contact before that. The Blackhawks reportedly declined to provide any information without a court order.

Per Arnold and McKinney:

The police report obtained by WBEZ from the Houghton, Mich., Police Department outlines repeated allegations of a sexual nature against Aldrich during his time as an assistant high school hockey coach there after departing both the Blackhawks and Miami University.

The heavily redacted report reveals that police in the remote city about 420 miles due north of Chicago investigated at least two previously unreported instances of alleged 'inappropriate' and 'uncomfortable' sexual contact by Aldrich prior to the fall 2013 criminal investigation.

The report discloses how Houghton police contacted the Blackhawks about Aldrich's time with the team, but the franchise's front office would only confirm the former coach was once an employee.

On June 1, TSN's Rick Westhead reported that a former high school hockey player was suing the Blackhawks for allegedly providing Aldrich a "positive employment reference despite knowing he was a sexual predator."

The lawsuit came weeks after a former Blackhawks player sued the franchise. The player, known as John Doe, said that Aldrich assaulted him in 2010 and sent him inappropriate and threatening texts. The player also said that the team's mental skills coach, James F. Gary, convinced him that he was at fault.

Westhead also reported that senior management chose not to contact Chicago police during the 2010 playoffs after two players said that Aldrich sexually assaulted them at his apartment during the regular season. Chicago would go onto win the first of three Stanley Cups in six years that June.

Westhead reported that the two Blackhawks players told then-skills coach Paul Vincent about being assaulted and Vincent shared what the players told him with general manager Stan Bowman, then-president John McDonough, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIssac and sports psychologist James Gary during a meeting on May 17, 2010, at a hotel in San Jose, California.

Bowman and MacIssac are still in key leadership roles.

Before joining Chicago in 2008, Aldrich worked for the University of Notre Dame. He joined Miami University (Ohio) as director of hockey operations in 2012. Aldrich also served as the video coach for the silver-medal-winning U.S. Men's National Hockey Team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

An attorney for Miami University told police Aldrich resigned in 2012 "under suspicion of unwanted touching of a male adult," before he began coaching high school hockey in Michigan.

Arnold and McKinney reported the university has since opened an internal investigation.

Lawyers for the Blackhawks filed a statement of defense on June 14 arguing the former player's case be dismissed because of Illinois' statute of limitations. The team also told Arnold and McKinney it takes the allegations "very seriously" but said the lawsuits "lack merit, and we are confident the team will be absolved of any wrongdoing."

"The Blackhawks are an organization very worried about its reputation, perception and history," the player told Arnold and McKinney. "They have a proven track record of cover-ups, including this abuse."

Chicago Blackhawks management reportedly refused to file a police report after two players accused former video coach Brad Aldrich of sexually assaulting them in 2010.

Rick Westhead of TSN reported former skills coach Paul Vincent approached then-Blackhawks president John McDonough, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, general manager Stan Bowman and team sports psychologist James Gary to inform them of the alleged assaults. Vincent allegedly pushed management to file a police report, but the request was refused.

The Blackhawks are the subject of two lawsuits related to the behavior of Aldrich. One lawsuit was filed by an unnamed former player who says he and another player were assaulted by Aldrich. The other was filed by a former high school athlete who alleges Aldrich assaulted him after the Blackhawks gave Aldrich a positive letter of recommendation that led to his hiring as an assistant coach for a high school team.

Aldrich pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a high school student in 2014 and was sentenced to nine months in jail.

The former Blackhawks player who filed suit says Aldrich threatened him "physically, financially and emotionally" in order to coerce him into sexual acts. The abuse allegedly took place during the 2009-10 season.

According to Westhead, the players approached Vincent and said Aldrich "had gotten them drunk in his apartment, watched pornography and then tried to perform oral sex on them." The lawsuit says Vincent directed them to Gary, who told a player "the sexual assault was his fault, that he was culpable for what had happened, [and had] made mistakes during his encounter with the perpetrator and permitted the sexual assault to occur."

The Blackhawks have asked for the suit to be thrown out, citing a statute of limitations. 

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon spoke after his team lost its fourth straight game to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday en route to a second-round playoff series exit.

"For sure, there's always next year," MacKinnon said when Mike Chambers of the Denver Post asked him about the team's championship window and the 2021-22 season (h/t Ryan O'Halloran of the Denver Post for the transcript):

"It's all we talk about, I feel like. I mean, I'm going on my ninth year next year and haven't won s--t, so I'm definitely motivated and it just sucks losing four in a row to a team and it felt like last year was our first real chance to win and this year, I felt we were the best team in the league. For whatever reason, we just couldn't get it together. I'm sure in training camp next year, we'll dissect things and figure it out and come back better."

The eight-year veteran has had a stellar career and just finished a season that has him in contention for a Hart Trophy, but he has yet to make it past the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Still, he's been nothing short of exceptional, scoring 30 goals in 56 games for an Avs team that won the President's Trophy this year.

Everything that could go wrong did for the Avs in the final four games of their series against the Golden Knights, however. Vegas outscored Colorado 17-8, including a 6-3 win on Thursday.

The Avs' top line, featuring MacKinnon at center, didn't get much going, especially in even-strength situations. The defense and goaltending faltered despite being excellent for much of the year.

This is still a very talented group from top to bottom, however. This year ended in disappointment, but the Avs should be right back in the middle of the playoff picture in 2022.

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele took issue Friday with getting suspended four games for his hit on Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans during Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.

According to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, Scheifele addressed the suspension during a press conference, saying: "I think it was pretty excessive. I wasn't expecting that. I was pretty shocked. But that's their decision."

The hit occurred during the closing seconds of Game 1 just as Evans scored an empty-net goal on a wraparound to extend the Montreal lead to 5-3.

Evans had to be stretchered off the ice, and he is out indefinitely with a concussion, per Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette.

Scheifele, who skated the length of the ice before delivering the hit, was given a five-minute charging penalty and a game misconduct.

According to Wyshynski, the NHL concluded that Scheifele was "conceding the empty-net goal" and instead decided to deliver a "hard, violent check to an opponent with the outcome of both the play and the game already having been decided."

The NHL also called it "a high, predatory hit."

Scheifele disagreed with the league's assessment (via Sportsnet):

The 28-year-old veteran also pointed to his history as evidence that he had no ill intent:

The result is what sucks. Having a guy hurt is what no one wants in this league. The league made their decision. I don't agree with it. No one knows what was going through my mind except myself. I tried to portray that to the league. I keep coming back to my record. I had 12 penalty minutes this year. I had one boarding penalty in my entire career. I haven't had a charging penalty. I don't think I've had more than frickin' 20 hits a year. My intention is not to injure. It's to prevent a goal.

Jets head coach Paul Maurice agreed with Scheifele, saying:

He's a clean offensive player. I looked at that hit and I used the word 'clean,' and the reason that I used it is because the things that I call 'dirty' in a hit weren't there for me. I don't agree with the distance traveled argument, because there's no other option in that distance traveled--on a straight line, meeting at a point of contact.

Regardless of Scheifele's intent, the Jets will be without one of their best players for the next four games, which could conceivably mean he is out for the remainder of the season if the Jets are eliminated before Game 6 of the series.

During the regular season, Scheifele led the Jets in assists with 42 and points with 63. He was also tied for second on the team in goals with 21.

His 63 points were the ninth-most of any player in the NHL during the regular season as well.

In five playoff games this season, including a four-game sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the first round and one game against Montreal in the second round, Scheifele has two goals and three assists for five points.

With Scheifele out for four games and the Jets facing a 1-0 series deficit, they face an uphill battle in terms of taking the series from Montreal.

Game 2 will take place Friday night in Winnipeg, and Scheifele will be eligible to return for Game 6, if necessary, which is scheduled for June 11.

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri has been suspended eight games for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of their first-round postseason matchup.

It's the sixth suspension for Kadri in his past 704 games. Faulk, meanwhile, did not return to play in Game 2 and was unavailable for Game 3 on Friday. St. Louis head coach Craig Berube has not ruled out the defenseman for the remainder of the series, but he remains questionable going forward.

The Avs hold a 2-0 series lead pending Friday's result.

Even before the NHL's ruling, Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly said a suspension was necessary given Kadri's past.

"That's a very dangerous hit," O'Reilly told reporters. "It's gotta be a suspension. He's a repeat offender. It's completely uncalled for. That's awful to see."

According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the league's Department of Player Safety offered an in-person hearing—conducted via zoom—before a ruling was announced. That gave the league the ability to suspend Kadri for at least five games.

Kadri initially received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, removing him from play in the third period of a 6-3 victory.

"The guy can't control himself," Blues center Brayden Schenn said. "In the playoffs, he's a repeat offender. Bad hits, greasy hits—he had a guy in a vulnerable position, and he picked nothing but the head."

Kadri last served a suspension in the postseason as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019, missing five games of his club's first-round series against the Boston Bruins for a cross-check on Jake DeBrusk.

Chicago Blackhawks TV announcer Pat Foley apologized after his on-air suicide reference during Monday's game against the Dallas Stars, via Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune.

Discussing the NHL's COVID-19 pandemic protocols, Foley said he would not have been able to follow the rules.

"Had I been traveling with the team this year, I might have put a bullet in my head," he said on NBC Sports Chicago.

The veteran announcer called games remotely this season rather than follow the team for road games. Those in the traveling parties were required to follow strict protocols during the year to limit the spread of the coronavirus, including the consistent use of masks as well as minimal travel outside the hotel.

Players were not allowed to go to restaurants or bars during the season.

After Foley's remark was criticized on social media, the announcer apologized.

"I wish I didn't say that," he said on Monday's broadcast. "I'm sorry if I offended some folks. Apparently I did, so I apologize."

Foley has been announcing games for the Blackhawks for 38 years either on television or the radio. Monday's game was the final one of the year for the squad, which failed to earn a playoff spot after finishing 24-25-7.

The St. Louis Blues will be in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the ninth time in 10 seasons.

The 2018-19 champions booked a place in the postseason Friday by virtue of an overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche's 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. They are the 14th team to claim one of the 16 bids.

Qualified Playoff Teams

Central

• Carolina Hurricanes (77 points)
• Florida Panthers (75 points)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (73 points)

East

• Washington Capitals (71 points)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (71 points)
• Boston Bruins (68 points)
• New York Islanders (67 points)

North

• Toronto Maple Leafs (72 points)
• Edmonton Oilers (64 points)
• Winnipeg Jets (59 points)

West

• Vegas Golden Knights (74 points)
• Colorado Avalanche (72 points)
• Minnesota Wild (70 points)
• St. Louis Blues (55 points)

The Blues' title triumph two years ago wasn't a fluke, but the stars aligned for the franchise after it went from firing Mike Yeo midseason to lifting the Stanley Cup. St. Louis' luck came back around in 2020 as it failed to advance past the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.

Based on where they sit in the standings, the Blues would appear destined for another early exit.

St. Louis' point total is deceptive though, since the team had to play 10 games against the Avalanche and nine against the Golden Knights, two of the NHL's strongest squads. The Minnesota Wild have been no pushovers, either.

To the extent regular-season momentum matters in the playoffs, the Blues might be peaking at the right time. On April 5, they suffered their 12th defeat in 14 games. Since then, they have reeled off eight victories in 14 games.

In order to buck the odds and make a deep run, St. Louis will need David Perron (50 points) and Ryan O'Reilly (50 points) to continue shouldering the bulk of the offensive burden.