On Tuesday, the NHL announced it had fined the Blackhawks $2 million for what the league described as “the organization’s inadequate internal procedures and inadequate and untimely response” from the team’s former video coach Brad Aldrich. Related to alleged incidents of connected sexual misconduct. 2010. League says it punished team after independent investigation.
Reportedly, the Blackhawks launched an investigation earlier this year after an unidentified hockey player sued over the 2010 incident earlier this year. An independent investigation determined that on May 8 or 9, 2010, a sexual encounter took place at Aldrich’s apartment between Aldrich and an unidentified 20-year-old player, a member of the Blackhawks’ minor league affiliate. The report said the player alleged that Aldrich sexually assaulted her, while Aldrich said the encounter was consensual.
Beach, who now plays professionally in Germany, has come forward as “John Doe” in the report and “John Doe” in the lawsuit. On Wednesday, he expressed “a great sense of relief and vengeance” and said that “it was no longer my word against everyone.”
Beach also said that he wants to come forward and put his name on it.
“To be honest, it’s already there,” Beach told TSN. “The details in the report were very accurate, and have been traced. But more than that, I’ve been a survivor, I’m a survivor. And I know I’m not alone. I know I’m not alone One, male or female. And I buried it for 10 years, 11 years, and it has destroyed me from within.”
“As an organization, the Chicago Blackhawks reiterate our deepest apologies for what they have done and for the organization’s failure to bravely bring this matter forward in 2010,” the statement said. “It was unforgivable for the then Blackhawks organization officials to delay taking action regarding reported sexual misconduct. No playoff game or championship is more important than protecting our players and employees from violent behavior.”
‘Focus on team and playoffs’
Stan Bowman, the Blackhawks’ president and general manager of hockey operations, and Al McIsaacs, senior vice president of hockey operations, resigned Tuesday after an investigation by law firm Jenner & Block, LLP detailing their alleged role in the case.
According to the investigation report, McIsaac, the Blackhawks’ senior director of hockey administration at the time, became aware of the incident on May 23, 2010 and sent the team’s mental skills coach and team counselor Jim Gary to interview the player, who said that Aldrich pressured her to have sex and threatened her career if she refused.
Later that day, the investigation report said, a meeting of the Blackhawks’ senior leadership was convened to discuss the situation.
According to the investigation report, Bowman recalled that then-president John McDonough and then-head coach Joel Queneville had made “remarks about the challenge of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals and the desire to focus on the team and the playoffs.” Just a few hours earlier, Chicago had won the Western Conference championship to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Queneville is currently the head coach of the Florida Panthers.
Discussing the situation with another team employee years later, McIsaac stated that McDonough wanted to avoid negative publicity during the playoffs. Bowman recalled McDonough telling the group that he would handle the situation, according to the investigation report.
But Aldrich continued to travel and work with the team throughout the playoffs, according to investigation reports, and the investigation found no indication that any action had been taken to address the situation until June 14, after the season ended. The Blackhawks’ policy at the time was that all reports of sexual harassment would be “promptly and thoroughly investigated”.
“Our investigation found no evidence, however, that McDonough or anyone else either contacted Human Resources or initiated an investigation between May 23 and June 14,” the report said.
During the interim, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on June 9, and during a team celebration on June 10, Aldrich allegedly had sex with a 22-year-old team intern. The intern rejected Aldrich’s advance, but did not report the incident, the investigation report reads. It was not clear from the report how the alleged incident involving the intern ultimately came to light.
“The failure to investigate the matter promptly and thoroughly not only violated the Blackhawks’ own sexual harassment policy at the time, but the decision to take no action from May 23 to June 14, 2010 had real consequences, which included additional allegations.” There were unwanted sexual advances by Aldrich to Blackhawks interns before eventually splitting from the club,” the NHL said.
Aldrich was paid severance and his name was engraved on the Stanley Cup.
On June 14, 2010, McDonough informed team human resources of the incident and the May 23 team leadership meeting. According to the director of human resources, McDonough said, “It was decided that the group would not alert Human Resources or do anything about the incident during the playoffs so as not to disturb the team’s chemistry.” McDonough told investigators he did not remember the conversation.
Nearly a decade later, the Blackhawks fired McDonough. The team did not specify the reason for the firing in its news release last year. “It was the right decision for the future of the organization and its fans,” the team said.
The Director of Human Resources met with Aldrich on June 16, 2010, giving him the option to investigate the incident with the unidentified player or resign. According to the investigation report, Aldrich opted to resign and no team investigation was ever conducted.
Aldrich received a severance and a playoff bonus. His name was engraved on the Stanley Cup. According to the investigation report, he found a championship ring and was allowed to take the Stanley Cup to his hometown for a day.
“The only way I could describe it was I felt sick, I felt sick to my stomach,” Beach told TSN of watching Aldrich chatting with the team when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. had won.
“I reported it and I was made aware that it made it up to the chain of command by ‘Doctor’ Gary and nothing happened. It was as if his life was the same as it was the day before. Every day the same And then when they won, to see them raise cups, at parades, at team photos, at celebrations, it made me feel like nothing. It made me feel like I didn’t exist . It made me feel like I wasn’t important and … it made me feel like he was right and I was wrong.”
According to the investigation report, Aldrich worked with USA Hockey, the University of Notre Dame and Miami University in Ohio. He also worked at Houghton High School in Houghton, Michigan, where he was arrested and convicted in 2013 of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
CNN has reached out to MacIsaac, Queneville, Aldrich and McDonough for comment. CNN has attempted to reach Gary for comment.
In a statement on Tuesday, Bowman said, “The team needs to focus on its future, and my continued involvement will be a distraction. I think it’s a lot about this organization to allow that to happen.” According to USA Hockey, Bowman also resigned as general manager of the 2022 US Olympic men’s hockey team.
The Blackhawks organization apologized to its fans in a letter published Tuesday, saying, “It is clear that the organization and its officials at the time did not live up to our own standards or values in dealing with these disturbing incidents. Deeply sorry for the loss. John Doe and others who were affected and failed to respond promptly. As an organization, we extend our deepest apologies to the individuals who have suffered through these experiences. We must – and do – better.”
CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to this report.
.