More importantly than the game of hockey is the human beings playing them. I wanted to make a post here about Kyle Beach, who as of yesterday had the courage to reveal his identity previously known as "John Doe" in the Jenner and Block investigation. For anyone not familiar with the case, I've attached some links and will also do my best to respectfully speak about it.
Article(warning of description regarding sexual assault):
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl...eline-2010-incident/dvghc204apyw1ssgggrch4x1g
Full report (same warning):
https://jenner.com/system/assets/as...ago Blackhawks Hockey Team - October 2021.pdf
Kyle Beach interview:
*** The situation to the best of my knowledge (would also like to mention I did not have the time to watch the Kyle Beach interview yesterday):
During the 2010 playoffs, a young Chicago Blackhawks squad seeking their first cup in 49 years was in the Western Conference Finals. Brad Aldrich, the Hawks video coach at the time, and now a convicted criminal (in a separate case), sexually assaulted Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach. Beach spoke up about this immediately letting team officials know, who then passed it on to team executives. The 5 team executives, including recently departed Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, current Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Chevaldayoff, and current Florida Panthers Coach Joel Quennville held a meeting regarding what had happened. Together they came to the conclusion to do nothing, with Quennville (Blackhawks coach at the time) specifically stating that making the information public would hurt team chemistry. They decided that they had come too far in the playoffs and that Kyle Beach's life was less important than their potential success, a group of adults in high positions, who as of the last few months were some of the most respected names in the world of hockey decided to do absolutely nothing for Kyle Beach, and never revealed what had happened, even denying the allegations until this week, which absolutely sickens me.
The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley cup, and won 2 more in 2013 and 2015. Kyle Beach would never set foot in an NHL game, only practice with the team and play for their AHL affiliate, until eventually moving on to Europe, with his career and life severely damaged and ruined. Even more disgusting is that Brad Aldrich would stay with the team for the remainder of the 2010 run, receive a Stanley cup ring and then be told to move on, he landed multiple jobs including a job at Houghton High School, where he was allegedly given a positive recommendation by the Blackhawks and then committed an act of sexual assault against a student which landed him in prison.
After the executives comes the players, who are also sticking with the narrative that they did not know. The evidence against them in the findings is less concrete than that against the executives, however former Hawks players including Nick Boynton and Brent Sopel from the 2010 roster both say
everyone in the locker room knew, and some directed homophobic slurs towards Beach during practice. NHL locker rooms are very close, to the best of my hockey knowledge, from documentaries I've seen and bonds I've witnessed, the chances are slim to none for at least half that locker room, if not all of it, to have no idea what was happening. Most specifically the Hawks core leadership group, Jonathan Toews, our very own Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane. Toews, Kane and Keith being the three still playing today, I want to focus in on Toews. Toews is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in hockey history, I had a lot of respect for him before his interview yesterday and find it impossible that he would not know what is happening in his locker room. He is a vocal and involved leader, he led his team to 3 Stanley cups, the hardest trophy to win in all sports. He would either have known and done nothing for Beach, or have failed to catch wind of what was going on in his own house yet manage to lead his team to 3 Stanley Cups in spite of that, one of those scenarios seems far more plausible than the other to me.
My thoughts go out to Kyle Beach and his family, I admire his courage to speak up about the situation, and his work to help prevent this from happening in hockey in the future. He deserved much better from the Chicago Blackhawks franchise and the NHL. It saddens me deeply that this happened to anyone in the sport I love most, that 2010 Hawks team is the first team I have a true memory of lifting the Stanley Cup, the OT winner, all of it stored in my head for life, now tainted. I share my support for Kyle and anyone else who is a victim of sexual assault, I hope they can continue to get help and although nobody can change what happened in the past, we can all do our part to make sure it doesn't happen in the future.
