Gary wanted to know before Betman. However, the case remained buried for ten years. Now he can apologize and “look ahead”.
The NHL commissioner spoke to the media on Monday about allegations made by player Kyle Beach that former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich sexually harassed him in 2010.
Beach, who was a reserve at the time, gave an emotional interview to TSN reporter Rick Westhead last Wednesday, revealing his identity at the same time. An independent report on the case was produced by Jenner & Black and appointed by the NHL, nicknamed “John Doe”.
Betman spoke at the beach on Saturday. He told her he was “sorry for the injury” he had to deal with. “He was brave, especially last week,” the commissioner commented.
How did we get there? The incident happened in 2010 as the Blackhawks were preparing for the Stanley Cup Final. Stan Bowman Managing Director. Joel Quenneville is the head coach. They were made aware and an internal meeting with other staff was held on May 23 of that year. Decision: We are going to fix the problem after the playoffs, without harming the team chances.
Bowman resigned last Tuesday after the report was released. Joel Quenneville left office Thursday after meeting with Gary Betman.
Except for another actor attending this meeting. Kevin Cheveldeoff, assistant GM with Blackhawks and now general manager of Winnipeg Jets, survived the massacre in 2010.
“Kevin is really a little guy in this situation,” Betman said. […] Based on his location and limited access to information, along with the fact that Aldrich subsequently left the company, he believed that the issue had been resolved by his superiors. ”
“During the trial [de Jenner & Block], Kevin is the only person who remembers Kevin. Everyone forgot or did not think he was there. He has been with the Blackhawks for nine months and is an Assistant General Manager with limited responsibilities. […] He has no reason to believe that all good things are not happening. ”
Brad Aldrich later resigned, but there is still time to engrave his name on the Stanley Cup. He was appointed by the American Hockey Federation. In 2013, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to assaulting a minor in Michigan. The Blackhawks’ decision not to investigate Aldrich weighs more on the balance.
Betman said he has been helping Kyle Beach and his family “for as long as necessary.” But what about Brad Aldrich’s other listed victim?
“I need to know more about this situation, the commissioner responded. I’m focusing more on the situation before us that happened in the NHL environment. [d’offrir de l’aide]. ⁇
Another piece of information that came out of this press conference: Blackhawks’ lawyers advised the NHL last December – that it was related to Kyle Beach – that it would fall. She ruled at the time that she did not have the “merit” to study. According to Gary Betman, the note he received in December was not as long as he complained last May.
“Before filing the complaint the club thought they were telling us and eventually got out of the investigation, not the same.”
And now?
Gary Betman assured us that the NHL should use all its resources to participate in the global effort to create a network of organizations that can meet the needs of the hockey community.
“It is important that help be available to everyone, whether you are in the hockey ecosystem, minors, major juniors, college, amateur level, men’s or women’s hockey. ”
The league wants to hire experts to “evaluate” what it does, “not only to make sure it fits, but to make sure it’s of the best quality.”
Assistant Commissioner Bill Daly also spoke at the press conference.
“For the past two and a half years, when the situation with Bill Peters has arisen, we have introduced a culture of reporting in which clubs are no doubt tempted to report to us regularly if there is any misconduct in their organization. ”
Daly said the trial against Peters, who was accused of racist slurs against player Akim Ali in 2019, was “over”. “We are in talks with delegates about the next steps in this file. ”
The information was denied by Akim Aliu spokesman Ben Miselas.
“The NHL has not been in contact with us for over a year,” he said on Twitter. In addition, the trial focused not only on Bill Peters’ actions but also on the broader issues of racism that Akim experienced in his career. ”
With regard to a policy on sexual harassment, Betman believed in “case-by-case-based judgment.” “We must impose a sentence that is in line with the facts and circumstances,” he said.
Despite everything, the league commissioner tries to find any positivity in this swamp.
“If this dire situation can at least provide constructive benefits, then proving that it is not tolerated. If you have a problem in your organization and you are in power, it is in your interest to act without regard to the consequences.”
To supporters who felt “frustrated and panicked by what had happened,” Betman said he was “as transparent as possible.”
“If I only knew what had happened [à l’époque], All of which are handled differently. But we do not know it. ”
“Judgment will be made on what we do in the future. ”
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