Blackhawks Video Coach Accused of Sexually Assaulting Players

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Blackhawks Video Coach Accused of Sexually Assaulting Players

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Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

It has recently come to light that, during the 2009-2010 season, a video coach for the Chicago Blackhawks attempted to sexually assault at least two of the players. It appears that not only did all the players know, but management too. Since this could be a steady story throughout the offseason and coming season, I figure it could use its own thread so it doesn't get mixed in with all the trades.

quote:

Alleged assaults of Blackhawks players �an open secret�: source

https://www.tsn.ca/alleged-assaults-of-chicago-blackhawks-players-an-open-secret-source-1.1659115

The alleged sexual assault of two former Chicago Blackhawks players was �an open secret� among staff both within and outside the team�s hockey department, a former team marketing official said in an interview with TSN.

The official said he was told by Blackhawks assistant trainer Jeff Thomas during the summer of 2010 that then-team video coach Brad Aldrich had allegedly sexually assaulted two players. The official asked for anonymity because he still works in the pro hockey industry and fears repercussions from the National Hockey League.

�Brad would routinely befriend young interns and invite them to his apartment in Chicago to watch March Madness basketball and other sports,� the marketing official said. �I was told to steer clear of him because he had tried something at his apartment on a few players. This was not something that only a few people knew about. The entire training staff, a lot of people knew...This was an open secret.�

The allegations against the Blackhawks went public in May after a former player filed a lawsuit in Chicago against the franchise. That unnamed player, identified as �John Doe (1)� in court documents, alleges that he reported the abuse to the team and that it was covered up. The player also alleges that Aldrich threatened him via text messages and other communications against making a complaint.

A second lawsuit filed in May by a former Michigan high school hockey player, identified in court documents as �John Doe (2)� alleges the Blackhawks covered up the abuse of two players and gave Aldrich a letter of reference when he left the team in the summer of 2010. That letter gave him the opportunity to go on and find other victims, the lawsuit alleges.

Aldrich was convicted of abusing a then-17-year-old hockey player in Houghton, Mich., in 2013. A year earlier, Aldrich resigned from his position as director of hockey operations at Miami University on Nov. 27, 2012, �under suspicion of unwanted touching of a male adult,� the university�s attorney told police, according to police records obtained by TSN.

Miami University has hired the law firm Barnes & Thornburg LLP to conduct an independent investigation into Aldrich�s tenure there, Chicago radio station WBEZ reported on Tuesday.

Houghton police records indicate an officer contacted the Blackhawks in 2013 to inquire about his time with the NHL team, but the team's director of human resources, Marie Sutera, would only confirm Aldrich had been an employee. Sutera requested a search warrant or subpoena to give out any information regarding Aldrich's departure from the team, police records say.

TSN reported last week that two former Blackhawks reported to then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 during the Western Conference finals that they had been abused by Aldrich.

Vincent says he asked the team�s management to report the allegations to Chicago police but that his plea was rejected. Vincent said he is willing to testify on behalf of the plaintiffs in the lawsuits against the Blackhawks.

�I feel a weight has been lifted off of me,� Vincent said in an interview on Monday with TSN. �I will stand up in court and say what happened. I know what the team did to cover this up and coming forward was the right thing to do."

Vincent alleges that after the players approached him on May 16, 2010, in San Jose, he asked Blackhawks sports psychologist James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

The following day, Vincent says he was called into a meeting with team president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, vice-president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, and Gary. Vincent said that he asked the team to report the alleged abuse to Chicago police. That request was refused, Vincent said.

Following the meeting, Vincent said he told assistant coaches John Torchetti and Mike Haviland about his request to go to police and about the team's response. Neither Torchetti nor Haviland could be reached for comment. Neither coach is still with the franchise.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, who was Blackhawks director of player personnel during the 2009-10 season, was not aware at the time that players had made complaints against Aldrich and was not involved in a meeting to discuss them, Canadiens vice-president of public affairs and communications Paul Wilson wrote in an email to TSN.

It's not known whether then-Blackhawks assistant general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff or then-coach Joel Quenneville knew about the meeting.

Cheveldayoff is now the Winnipeg Jets general manager. A Jets spokesman declined to comment and referred questions to the Blackhawks. Quenneville is now the head coach of the Florida Panthers. A Panthers spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.

The NHL also has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

News of the purported May 2010 meeting has ricocheted through the hockey world and attracted the attention of groups who advocate on behalf of sexual abuse survivors.

Former NHL player and sexual abuse survivor Sheldon Kennedy said the NHL�s refusal to comment publicly on the case and commit to an independent investigation of the Blackhawks management was �cowardly.�

�It�s cowardly to not address this publicly and hide in your office,� Kennedy in an interview. �This is about being a leader. The NHL should stand up and address this. Do everything they can to find out the truth and right the wrongs. �There must be accountability for people who know and do nothing. Where is the accountability from the Blackhawks for what happened to that high school boy in Michigan?�

During the 1990s, Kennedy, then an NHL player with the Boston Bruins, shared publicly that he had been abused by his former junior coach, Graham James, who was among the most successful junior coaches in Western Canada. Kennedy said at the time that other coaches and officials must have understood what James was doing and did nothing to stop him.

Kennedy�s courage led to other public disclosures of sexual abuse cases in junior hockey and prompted a public reckoning about the sport.

Kennedy said he empathizes with both players who came forward to Vincent.

�I can imagine how difficult it was for them,� he said. �The fear and stress and anxiety that they were sitting with for who knows how long. The worry. What if we come forward and nothing happens? Well, they do come forward. They have the courage and strength to tell their stories and then their worst nightmare happens. The door gets slammed in their face. Their abuse is dismissed.�

Peter Donnelly, a professor of sport policy and politics at the University of Toronto, said the NHL should contact the U.S. Center for Safe Sport, an independent, government-funded agency that investigates abuse claims. If the NHL hired a firm recommended by the Center to conduct a probe, that would eliminate even the appearance of a conflict of interest, Donnelly said.

�The NHL needs to commission an independent arms-length investigation and commit to making the results of that investigation public,� Donnelly said in an interview.

Before working for the Blackhawks, Aldrich was a video coach for the University of Notre Dame. After he left the NHL, he worked with Miami University.

Based on the NHL allegations and his sex abuse conviction, both of those universities should conduct investigations, Donnelly said.

�It�s not that hard for schools to contact the players who Aldrich had contact with,� Donnelly said. �The alumni office and athletic departments all keep great records. They should be explaining what�s happened with [Aldrich] and asking if there�s any players who were assaulted by him who needs counselling now and to tell their story. That�s the most ethical thing that they could do.�

Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown wouldn�t say whether the school has a policy of reaching out to former students after past coaches or teachers are convicted of a sex crime.

�When made aware of such incidents, we review files and speak to anyone who might have information, then investigate if warranted,� Brown wrote in an email.

Miami University officials did not respond to multiple email requests for comment.

After Aldrich left the Blackhawks, he joined the coaching staff of a high school team in Houghton, Mich.

�I remember asking 'Why is he here after being with the Blackhawks?'� Houghton hockey coach Corey Markham said in an interview. �Brad�s uncle was an assistant coach on our team and said Brad was just tired of the NHL travel. I was like, �Cripes, we have a chance to have a Stanley Cup-winning coach who�s great doing video? Terrific.� He was family, so we didn�t do any background checks or anything.�

(Markham concedes a background check would not have necessarily raised any red flags with Aldrich because he didn�t have a criminal conviction for his alleged assaults in Chicago.)

Aldrich spent a season with Houghton High School's team before leaving for a job with Miami University, where he was named director of hockey operations in July 2012.

Aldrich left that position before Christmas 2012, former Miami head coach Enrico Blasi said in an interview.

�I don�t know why he left, Blasi said. "You'd have to talk to the school's legal department."

Aldrich rejoined the Houghton high school team in January 2013, Markham said.

�No one felt uncomfortable around him,� he said. �I look back and everyone liked him a lot.�

One morning in mid-2013, Markham was summoned to Houghton�s police station and told about Aldrich�s assault of a 17-year-old high school hockey player. Aldrich was later convicted in connection with the incident.

�I felt sick,� Markham said. �My biggest advice to other coaches is to ask questions. The biggest thing for me was why he left the Blackhawks. Find out the reason why someone leaves a job like that before you take them on. Don�t be na�ve and accept what you hear.�

https://twitter.com/KatieJStrang/status/1408402257213800449

https://twitter.com/TSNHockey/status/1408866479831924737

# ? Jun 27, 2021 02:28

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 02:44

MoaM: Dec 1, 2009; Joyous.

Very hosed up.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 02:33

deoju: Jul 11, 2004; All the pieces matter.; Nap Ghost

I would rather have my favorite teams lose every game between now and the heat death of the universe than be in league with pedophiles and sexual predators. gently caress the Blackhawks until they own up, apologize, and clean house.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 02:34

Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

deoju posted:

I would rather have my favorite teams lose every game between now and the heat death of the universe than be in league with pedophiles and sexual predators. gently caress the Blackhawks until they own up, apologize, and clean house.

How much of the Blackhawks' current management is the same as back then, and how many others are still in the league? If this is something that team management knew about at the time, I can't imagine it being acceptable that any of them stay in the league.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 02:50

Eric the Mauve: May 8, 2012; Making you happy for a buck since 199X

The NHL's strategy right now is clearly "ignore it, pretend it doesn't exist, hopefully pay off the complainants to keep quiet, and wait for it to go away"

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:05

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

Hand Knit posted:

How much of the Blackhawks' current management is the same as back then, and how many others are still in the league? If this is something that team management knew about at the time, I can't imagine it being acceptable that any of them stay in the league.

Well, judging by this, a lot of names still in the league.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:06

Eric the Mauve: May 8, 2012; Making you happy for a buck since 199X

They could at least forge a new plate and take his and those who protected him's names off the loving Cup

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:08

Darude - Adam Sandstorm: Aug 16, 2012

The fact that Bowman has a job even a half hour after that report is extremely hosed.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:09

xzzy: Mar 5, 2009

Eric the Mauve posted:

The NHL's strategy right now is clearly "ignore it, pretend it doesn't exist, hopefully pay off the complainants to keep quiet, and wait for it to go away"

yep

quote:

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly was quoted in a story published Friday by The Athletic that the NHL had been in contact with the Blackhawks but that no investigation was underway. Daly did not respond to a question about what it would take to trigger an investigation, the website reported.

This makes the NHL complicit in the coverup too, it's scumbags all the way to the top. They'll sigh a little bit, write a big check, and nothing meaningful happens.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:33

deoju: Jul 11, 2004; All the pieces matter.; Nap Ghost

gently caress all of these assholes.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:36

Eric the Mauve: May 8, 2012; Making you happy for a buck since 199X

So exactly the way they've handled CTE, is what you're saying

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:37

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

Eric the Mauve posted:

So exactly the way they've handled CTE, is what you're saying

It is loving disgusting, but absolutely. The NHL is probably going to handle this worse than Penn State.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:46

clean ayers act: Aug 13, 2007; How do I shot puck!?

Bettman's state of the league happens right before the finals, hopefully there are going to be a bunch of questions on this

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:52

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

Eric the Mauve posted:

They could at least forge a new plate and take his and those who protected him's names off the loving Cup

There is precedence for x'ing over a name on the Stanley Cup, that's been done before.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:54

goldrush: Sep 27, 2005; ~~~No Worries~~~

AsInHowe posted:

Well, judging by this, a lot of names still in the league.

Hmmmmm, I'm seeing a lot of names that need to come off that thing all of a sudden

# ? Jun 27, 2021 03:59

LonesomeCrowdedWest: May 8, 2008

Just read The Athletic article about this and just.... jesus christ.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 04:33

Scaramouche: Mar 26, 2001; SPACE FACE! SPACE FACE!

AsInHowe posted:

There is precedence for x'ing over a name on the Stanley Cup, that's been done before.

Isn't that while thing managed by someone who is not the NHL? E.g. they could do it on their own

# ? Jun 27, 2021 04:42

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

Scaramouche posted:

Isn't that while thing managed by someone who is not the NHL? E.g. they could do it on their own

Officially, it's managed by the Hockey Hall of Fame. It's why the HHOF logo is on the bottom of the Cup.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 04:47

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

31 Thoughts with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek dropped an emergency podcast this morning about this issue.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 12:54

Cartoon Man: Jan 31, 2004

If the league is going to do anything (they won�t) it would happen after the Cup final. They don�t want the negative publicity affecting those ratings.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 13:11

CBJSprague24: Dec 5, 2010; another game at nationwide arena. everybody keeps asking me if they can fuck the cannon. buddy, they don't even let me fuck it

Eric the Mauve posted:

The NHL's strategy right now is clearly "ignore it, pretend it doesn't exist, hopefully pay off the complainants to keep quiet, and wait for it to go away"

Knowing them, they'll award the a Blackhawks compensatory draft pick or something because Chicago.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 15:00

Darude - Adam Sandstorm: Aug 16, 2012

Bergevin (was director of pro personnel) claims he wasn't a part of the meeting and didn't know anything (ya right).

Cheveldayoff has not responded to anything yet (he was assistant GM at the time)

# ? Jun 27, 2021 15:32

Eric the Mauve: May 8, 2012; Making you happy for a buck since 199X

Who does the video coach typically report to?

# ? Jun 27, 2021 15:40

Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

Things are in motion

https://twitter.com/rwesthead/status/1409233173314211844

# ? Jun 27, 2021 20:35

whatis: Jun 6, 2012

loving good

# ? Jun 27, 2021 21:07

VOTE1: Aug 23, 2007

Was this guy the son of a famous hockey guy or something, I�d imagine normally a video coach would get fired for accidentally scratching the star players Audi in the car park as opposed to the team covering up for them.

I�d expect this poo poo from the NHL but more in lovely protection of the owner or star players, not a fairly replaceable junior level coach.

# ? Jun 27, 2021 23:27

Precambrian Video Games: Aug 19, 2002

I'm guessing that the coach targeted rookies/young/marginal players who were less likely to (feel like they could) speak out, though who knows. The two worst similar offenders I can think were in junior hockey (David Frost and Graham James).

# ? Jun 28, 2021 00:41

clean ayers act: Aug 13, 2007; How do I shot puck!?

eXXon posted:

I'm guessing that the coach targeted rookies/young/marginal players who were less likely to (feel like they could) speak out, though who knows. The two worst similar offenders I can think were in junior hockey (David Frost and Graham James).

It seems like at least one of the incidents happened at a party during the playoffs so i would guess it was a "black ace" who felt they couldn't rock the boat but honestly, it doesn't matter, everyone involved needs to be gone yesterday

e: good lord:

https://twitter.com/CarBombBoom13/status/1409196080005275650?s=20

clean ayers act fucked around with this message at 01:27 on Jun 28, 2021

# ? Jun 28, 2021 01:21

Eric the Mauve: May 8, 2012; Making you happy for a buck since 199X

I can't escape the feeling that the elephant in the room everyone is awkwardly in tacit agreement not to notice or comment on is Quenneville.

# ? Jun 28, 2021 01:41

xzzy: Mar 5, 2009

I hesitate to link to a deadspin article but it popped up in my news feed and though it takes a while to get there, I think this does a fair job putting a context around things.

https://deadspin.com/this-is-what-the-blackhawks-have-always-been-1847182140

I don't really buy the "we're scared of not looking like geniuses" angle but the idea that the Blackhawks feel all they money they've made the league makes them invincible is plausible. And how Bettman won't hand out any punishment is the lovely reality of where this will go.

# ? Jun 28, 2021 15:57

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

whoops

https://mobile.twitter.com/KatieJStrang/status/1409534498312802315

# ? Jun 28, 2021 16:44

Drunk Canuck: Jan 9, 2010; Robots ruin all the fun of a good adventure.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1409629903423672322?s=19

Fold the franchise.

# ? Jun 28, 2021 22:53

MJeff: Jun 2, 2011; THE LIAR

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/1409632354377732101

oh, word?

# ? Jun 28, 2021 23:01

Mike_V: Jul 31, 2004; 3/18/2023: Day of the Dorks

I'm going to guess that's a pretty liberal use of "relatively recently"

# ? Jun 28, 2021 23:30

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

Mike_V posted:

I'm going to guess that's a pretty liberal use of "relatively recently"

Within the last 50 years.

# ? Jun 29, 2021 02:25

Ginette Reno: Nov 18, 2006; How Doers get more done; Fun Shoe

VOTE1 posted:

Was this guy the son of a famous hockey guy or something, I�d imagine normally a video coach would get fired for accidentally scratching the star players Audi in the car park as opposed to the team covering up for them.

I�d expect this poo poo from the NHL but more in lovely protection of the owner or star players, not a fairly replaceable junior level coach.

Nope. Not a former player or coach either. He got his first job interning as a video coach for the Sharks. How he managed to land that gig I dunno. Maybe he has some sort of amateur hockey background. As far as I can tell he's never played at any high level.

# ? Jun 29, 2021 03:09

Nissin Cup Nudist: Sep 3, 2011; Sleep with one eye open

We're off to Gritty Gritty land

That's the mind boggling thing, this coach is a complete nobody. I imagine video coaches elsewhere get fired for less

# ? Jun 29, 2021 05:04

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

Nissin Cup Nudist posted:

That's the mind boggling thing, this coach is a complete nobody. I imagine video coaches elsewhere get fired for less

The Red Wings video coach has always been Some Guy, usually a stepping stone to another coach position.

Most memorably, Joe Kocur was the video coach after he retired, producing the most memorable moment in Red Wings video coach history.

https://youtu.be/iRzVQIg5V4w

Also, very apt given the situation!

# ? Jun 29, 2021 06:28

VOTE1: Aug 23, 2007

Nissin Cup Nudist posted:

That's the mind boggling thing, this coach is a complete nobody. I imagine video coaches elsewhere get fired for less

Wow ok, to be honest the only explanation that makes any sense to me is that they don't want to open the floodgates, given the abuse stories from junior hockey it isn't too hard to believe.

I work in politics, another really lovely industry from a HR/morals standpoint, and when something is covered up its almost always because either A) offender is a important guy, or B) a domino effect that will ruin (usually deservingly) many others.

# ? Jun 29, 2021 11:55

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 02:44

Scaramouche: Mar 26, 2001; SPACE FACE! SPACE FACE!

I know the NHL is paying you guys to bury this story but I will continue to be a thorn in the side of management:
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/ro...-160028371.html

So some people weren't super happy with Maclean's softball interview with Bettman, which is good. Keep up the pressure. I wonder if people could demand to know if not talking about it was condition of the interview from good old Ron.

# ? Jul 7, 2021 03:12

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Blackhawks Video Coach Accused of Sexually Assaulting Players

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