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                                                                                                       sports Diabierna 29 OctOber 2021

                            ‘Animalism’: Blackhawks scandal raises culture questions


            (AP) — For three weeks in 2010, they did nothing.  released,  leading  to  the  departures  of  President
            That’s how long it took for the leadership of the  of Hockey Operations Stan Bowman and Al Ma-  But the report makes clear that 11 years ago, win-
            Chicago Blackhawks to act on allegations that an  cIsaac, another top executive.                ning the Cup took priority over taking immediate
            assistant coach sexually assaulted a player.                                                    action on the Aldrich allegations: Bowman recalled
                                                            “I think the overriding message was that we, as in  that during the May 23 meeting, McDonough and
            Three  weeks.  Three  weeks  that  —  more  than  a  the organization, we’re here for you,” coach Jer-  Quenneville talked about the challenge of reaching
            decade later — rocked a once-proud franchise and  emy Colliton said. “The family is behind us. The  the Stanley Cup Final and “a desire to focus on the
            raised more questions about the culture of sports.  organization’s behind us, and we’re going to do ev-  team and the playoffs.”
                                                            erything we can to move forward here.”
            In the span of 107 pages, featuring interviews with                                             Bowman’s description of what happened was rem-
            139  witnesses,  more  than  100  gigabytes  of  elec-  Rocky Wirtz said Tuesday that he and Danny were  iniscent of scandals at Baylor, where assault claims
            tronic records and 49 boxes of hard-copy records,  first made aware of the accusations ahead of a May  against football players were mishandled by school
            a report by an outside law firm detailed how senior  filing of a lawsuit by Beach alleging sexual assault  officials, or at USA Gymnastics, still reeling from
            leaders of the Blackhawks seemingly ignored the  by then-assistant coach Brad Aldrich in 2010. The  its mishandling of convicted serial sex abuser and
            sexual assault accusations raised with the franchise  team also is facing a second lawsuit by a former stu-  team doctor Larry Nassar.
            days before the team won its first Stanley Cup title  dent whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting in
            since 1961.                                     Michigan.                                       Loggans said she hopes what happened with Chi-
                                                                                                            cago leads to changes across sports.
            The ramifications of the independent review, com-  The Blackhawks said their lawyers contacted Susan
            missioned by the team in response to two lawsuits,  Loggans, an attorney who represents John Doe and  “There has to be a change from a mentality of com-
            stretched into several corners of the NHL, which  the former student in the second lawsuit, on Tues-  plete animalism, like let’s just completely ramp up
            fined the Blackhawks $2 million for “the organiza-  day about possible settlements. A call was set up for  the masculinity factor of these players and what-
            tion’s inadequate internal procedures and insuffi-  early next week.                            ever it takes to win a game, we’ll do that,” she said.
            cient and untimely response.”                                                                   “There has to be some context, no different than
                                                            According  to  the  report,  the  encounter  between  being  concerned  about  concussions  in  football
            Florida  coach  Joel  Quenneville  is  slated  to  meet  Beach, then a 20-year-old minor leaguer called up  games.
            with  NHL  Commissioner  Gary  Bettman  on  in case the Blackhawks needed help in the playoffs,
            Thursday,  and  Winnipeg  general  manager  Kevin  and Aldrich, then 27, occurred on May 8 or 9 in  “It’s not winning at all costs. These are human be-
            Cheveldayoff  is  planning  to  talk  to  the  commis-  2010.                                   ings. They’re not gladiators whose lives are going
            sioner on Monday. Both were with the Blackhawks                                                 to be sacrificed in the game.”
            when the accusations by Kyle Beach were first re-  Beach  told  investigators  that  Aldrich  threatened
            ported to team leadership.                      him  with  a  souvenir  baseball  bat  before  forcibly
                                                            performing oral sex on him and masturbating on
            According to the report, Donald Fehr, the leader of  the player’s back, allegations that he also detailed
            the NHL players’ association, was contacted twice  in his lawsuit.
            about allegations connected to the assistant coach,
            including by a Beach confidant. Fehr told inves-  Aldrich told investigators the encounter was con-
            tigators he couldn’t recall either conversation, but  sensual. Asked Wednesday about the law firm’s re-
            did not deny that they had occurred.            port, Aldrich responded: “I have nothing to say.”

            “Kyle Beach has been through a horrific experience  About two weeks later, on May 23, 2010, right after
            and has shown true courage in telling his story,”  Chicago advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, Bow-
            Fehr said in a statement Wednesday night. “There  man, MacIsaac, team president John McDonough,
            is no doubt that the system failed to support him  executive  vice  president  Jay  Blunk  and  assistant
            in his time of need, and we are part of that system.  general manager Cheveldayoff met with Quenn-
                                                            eville and mental skills coach Jim Gary to discuss
            “In his media interview, Mr. Beach stated that sev-  the allegations.
            eral months after the incident he told someone at
            the NHLPA the details of what happened to him.  Former  federal  prosecutor  Reid  Schar,  who  led
            He is referring to one of the program doctors with  the  investigation,  said  accounts  of  the  meeting
            the  NHL/NHLPA  player  assistance  program.  “vary significantly.” But there was no evidence that
            While this program is confidential between players  anything  was  done  about  the  accusations  before
            and the doctors, the grave nature of this incident  McDonough contacted the team’s director of hu-
            should have resulted in further action on our part.  man resources on June 14 — a delay that violated
            The fact that it did not was a serious failure. I am  the team’s sexual harassment policy, according to
            truly sorry, and I am committed to making changes  Schar.
            to ensure it does not happen again.”
                                                            During  those  three  weeks,  Aldrich  continued  to
            Beach, a 2008 first-round draft pick playing profes-  work for and travel with the team. Schar said Al-
            sionally in Germany, told TSN on Wednesday he  drich also “made an unwanted sexual advance” to-
            felt “alone and dark” in the days following the al-  ward a 22-year-old Blackhawks intern.
            leged assault. He said he is only now beginning the
            healing process.                                Beach told TSN seeing Aldrich around the team
                                                            made him feel sick.
            Beach,  31,  had  been  referred  to  as  John  Doe  in
            his lawsuit against the team and the Blackhawks’  “I reported this and I was made aware that it made
            report. The AP does not typically identify people  it all the way up the chain of command by (Jim
            who say they are victims of sexual assault unless  Gary) and nothing happened,” Beach said. “It was
            they come forward publicly.                     like his life was the same as the day before. Same
                                                            every day.
            In a statement attributed to the team, the Black-
            hawks commended Beach for his courage in com-   “And  then  when  they  won,  to  see  him  paraded
            ing  forward,  and  reiterated  the  organization’s  around lifting the Cup, at the parade, at the team
            “deepest apologies” for what he has gone through  pictures, at celebrations, it made me feel like noth-
            and its failure to promptly respond in 2010.    ing.”
            Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, the son of team  McDonough, Blunk and Gary are no longer em-
            chairman  Rocky  Wirtz,  met  with  current  play-  ployed in the NHL. Now Bowman and MacIsaac
            ers Wednesday, a day after the graphic report was  are out as well.
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