The Chicago Blackhawks Are Clearing House After Findings From Their Investigation Were Released
The Chicago Blackhawks are letting go of 2 front office executives for their improper conduct. This came after findings were released related to a 2010 allegation of sexual assault. The assailant in question is former video coach Brad Aldrich, who an anonymous player claimed sexually assaulted himself and another player during the Blackhawks’ championship season in 2010. Findings from the investigation by law firm Jenner and Block found there to be very severe mismanagement of the situation. Now, Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations Stan Bowman and Senior Director of Hockey Administration Al McIsaac has left the team. It is a shocking report and one that should not have taken this long to be uncovered. ESPN interviewed a player from the 2010 team who was concerned about the NHL reportedly appearing to try and “sweep the situation under the rug.”
One member of the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup-winning team told ESPN in June that he felt the NHL was “trying to sweep the situation under the rug.”
“It’s scary to think people could turn their head and let this happen,” the player said.
– ESPN via Emily Kaplan
Setting the Scene
After occurring on May 8 or 9 of 2010, members of Blackhawks management met over what had occurred with Aldrich and the player. Head of the investigation Reid Schar released that interviewees had recollections of the situation that “vary significantly.” Regardless, they came to the conclusion to allow Aldrich to remain on the team. Even more, he was given a championship ring and even had a day with the Stanley Cup. This unsurprisingly affected the player, who reportedly suffers from anxiety, depression, and even a subsequent divorce due to the attack. Even worse, the organization never even told the players that Aldrich had left the team or the reasons why. To add, Danny Wirtz, the son of Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz, called the report “difficult and disturbing to read.”
On Tuesday, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz said he or his son Danny — the team’s CEO — did not know about the allegations until the lawsuits were filed.
“The report is both disturbing and difficult to read,” Danny Wirtz said. “It speaks for itself.”
– ESPN via Emily Kaplan
The Fallout
It would not be a surprise to see if more is to come from the findings being released. One name that is interesting to consider is former Head Coach Joel Quenneville. A performance evaluation from 2010 had congratulated and praised Aldrich for his work en route to the Cup. Kyle Davison has already been announced as the interim general manager after serving as assistant GM. This could be seen as good news to Blackhawks fans. Bowman has taken severe criticism for the team’s slow start and personnel decisions. This rebuild of sorts has been going on for quite some time, and perhaps a new voice to listen to could move things forward.
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