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sports Diahuebs 28 OctOber 2021

Blackhawks GM resigns, team fined after sexual assault probe

(AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks mishandled
allegations that an assistant coach sexually Danny Wirtz said he has instructed the organi- “Also after the Stanley Cup win, Aldrich contin-
assaulted a player during the team’s Stanley zation’s lawyers to try to “reach a fair resolution ued to participate in celebrations in the presence of
Cup run in 2010, according to an investiga- consistent with the totality of the circumstances.” John Doe, who had made the complaint.”
tion commissioned by the franchise that cast But Loggans said there hadn’t been any settlement
a shadow over the NHL. talks. While announcing in July that he was willing to
participate in the team’s probe, Quenneville said
Stan Bowman, Chicago’s general manager and “I’m waiting to see if there’s any action behind in a statement that he “first learned of these alle-
president of hockey operations, resigned Tuesday their repentance that they expressed today,” she gations through the media earlier this summer.”
in the wake of the findings by an outside law firm, told the AP. Cheveldayoff said in a statement that he had no
and the NHL fined the team $2 million for “the knowledge of the allegations until he was asked if
organization’s inadequate internal procedures and Bowman, the son of Hall of Fame coach Scotty he was aware of anything prior to the end of Al-
insufficient and untimely response.” Al MacIsaac, Bowman, said he was stepping aside because he drich’s employment with the Blackhawks.
one of the team’s top hockey executives, also is out. didn’t want to be a distraction. He also resigned his
position as GM of the U.S men’s hockey team at Bettman said he would “reserve judgment” on
Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville and Win- the 2022 Winter Olympics. Quenneville and Cheveldayoff, and he plans to
nipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, meet with them to discuss their roles in the situ-
who were with the Blackhawks when the sexual “Eleven years ago, while serving in my first year ation.
assault allegations were first reported, were named as general manager, I was made aware of potential
in the damning report as well. inappropriate behavior by a then-video coach in- The NHL said $1 million of the Blackhawks’ fine
volving a player,” he said in a statement released by will help fund organizations in the Chicago area
The Panthers declined to comment, citing NHL the Blackhawks. “I promptly reported the matter “that provide counseling and training for, and sup-
Commissioner Gary Bettman’s plans to meet with to the then-president and CEO who committed to port and assistance to, survivors of sexual and other
Quenneville. Cheveldayoff said he shared every- handling the matter. forms of abuse.”
thing he knows with Jenner & Block for its report.
“I learned this year that the inappropriate behavior On June 16, 2010, according to the report, Aldrich
“Further, I look forward to my discussion with involved a serious allegation of sexual assault. I re- was given the option of resigning or being part of
Commissioner Bettman at the soonest possible lied on the direction of my superior that he would an investigation into what happened with John
date to continue to cooperate fully with the Na- take appropriate action. Looking back, now know- Doe. Aldrich signed a separation agreement and no
tional Hockey League,” Cheveldayoff said in a ing he did not handle the matter promptly, I regret investigation was conducted.
statement provided by the Jets to The Associated assuming he would do so.”
Press. “I will reserve any further comment until af- Aldrich received a severance and a playoff bonus,
ter that conversation has been conducted.” According to the report, the encounter between according to the report, and he was paid a salary
John Doe, then 20, and Aldrich, then 27, occurred “for several months.” He hosted the Stanley Cup
Quenneville was on the ice with the Panthers for on May 8 or 9 in 2010. Doe told investigators that for a day in his hometown, and his name was en-
their game-day morning skate Wednesday. He said Aldrich threatened him with a souvenir baseball graved on the iconic trophy.
afterward he would meet with Bettman on Thurs- bat before forcibly performing oral sex on him and
day. masturbating on the player’s back, allegations that The former player’s lawsuit, filed May 7 in Cook
he also detailed in a lawsuit. Aldrich told investiga- County Circuit Court, alleges Aldrich also assault-
Quenneville said he had taken part in a number tors the encounter was consensual. ed another unidentified Blackhawks player. The
of meetings with the Panthers since Tuesday, say- former player who sued and is referred in the doc-
ing only that the investigation’s findings were ad- On May 23, right after Chicago advanced to the ument as John Doe is seeking more than $150,000
dressed. “I look forward to continuing to contrib- Stanley Cup Final, Bowman, MacIsaac, former in damages.
ute to the process,” he said of the meeting with team president John McDonough, former execu-
Bettman. tive vice president Jay Blunk and then-assistant gen- Aldrich was sentenced to nine months in prison for
eral manager Cheveldayoff met with then-coach the Michigan assault.
The Blackhawks hired Jenner & Block to conduct Quenneville and mental skills coach Jim Gary to
what they called an independent review in response discuss the allegations. (McDonough, Blunk and Kyle Davidson was elevated to interim GM for the
to two lawsuits filed against the franchise: one by a Gary are no longer employed in the NHL.) Blackhawks, and USA Hockey said it expects to
player identified as John Doe alleging sexual assault announce a replacement for Bowman soon.
by then-assistant coach Brad Aldrich in 2010 and Schar said accounts of the meeting “vary signifi-
another filed by a former student whom Aldrich cantly.”
was convicted of assaulting in Michigan.
“What is clear is that after being informed of Al-
The report, which team CEO Danny Wirtz called drich’s alleged sexual harassment and misconduct
“both disturbing and difficult to read,” was re- with a player no action was taken for three weeks,”
leased by the franchise. Former federal prosecutor Schar said.
Reid Schar, who led the investigation, said the firm
found no evidence that Wirtz or his father, Rocky, According to the report, Bowman recalled that,
who owns the team, were aware of the allegations after learning of the incident, Quenneville shook
before the former player’s lawsuit was brought to his head and said it was hard for the team to get
their attention ahead of its filing. to where it was, and they could not deal with this
issue now.
“It is clear that in 2010 the executives of this or-
ganization put team performance above all else,” The report found no evidence of any investiga-
Danny Wirtz said. “John Doe deserved better from tion or contact with human resources before Mc-
the Blackhawks.” Donough informed the team’s director of human
resources about the allegations on June 14 — a de-
In a statement released through his attorney, Susan lay that violated the Blackhawks’ sexual harassment
Loggans, John Doe said he was “grateful for the ac- policy and had “consequences,” according to Schar.
countability” shown by the Blackhawks.
“During that period, Aldrich continued to work
“Although nothing can truly change the detriment with and travel with the team,” Schar said. “On
to my life over the past decade because of the ac- June 10th, during an evening of celebration after
tions of one man inside the Blackhawks organiza- the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup win the previous day,
tion, I am very grateful to have the truth be recog- Aldrich made an unwanted sexual advance towards
nized, and I look forward to continuing the long a Blackhawks intern, who was 22 years old at the
journey to recovery,” John Doe said. time.