I’m not a hockey fan, particularly. But I was excited to see the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, ending a nearly 50-year championship drought for the team.
But that big shiny trophy seems more than a little tarnished today, now that we have learned more about what was happening behind the scenes during that title run. An outside investigation has revealed that team executives were well aware of appalling accusations against a team coach… and did nothing for weeks, in order to avoid distracting the team during the playoffs.
A player, identified as John Doe, says he was sexually assaulted by coach Brad Aldrich during that championship season. Aldrich also allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with a second player that year. The accusations made their way to top team officials, including then-head coach Joel Quenneville and the team’s general manager, Stan Bowman. John McDonough, who was then the Blackhawks president of hockey operations, reportedly told the others that he would handle it. But then nothing happened, and none of the other officials and executives who were aware of the situation followed up.
Ultimately, once the Stanley Cup was in hand – and Aldrich was allowed to celebrate with the team – he was told that he could face a formal investigation, or he could just resign. He chose to quit, and the Blackhawks took no further action.
The impact of that inaction is devastating. Aldrich allegedly made a sexual advance on a Blackhawks intern, after team officials were aware of the other allegations against him. And after leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich committed a criminal sexual assault against a high school student, and is now a registered sex offender. It leaves the lingering and disturbing questions about whether that crime could have been prevented, had the Blackhawks pursued the complaints coming from the team’s own locker room.
The team’s culpability in this nightmare might have remained in the shadows, except John Doe filed a lawsuit earlier this year, finally seeking justice in the case. That triggered the outside investigation that culminated in the detailed account of what the Blackhawks did, and didn’t, do.
In the aftermath, the National Hockey League has fined the Blackhawks $2 million, and the team has dismissed Stan Bowman and one other executive who was part of that apparent coverup. It’s a good start, but the NHL has to go further.
The former Blackhawks coach, Joel Quenneville, is now the head coach of the Florida Panthers. Quenneville said earlier this year that he only learned of the 2010 allegations this year through media reports. The investigation makes it clear that wasn’t true. Quenneville had an obligation then to protect his team and still seems more concerned about his own self-interest than in bringing the truth to light.
Another former Blackhawks official is now the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets. The NHL should sideline both men, and send a clear message to everyone else in the league that such conduct cannot be tolerated.
The scandal has also raised questions about Blackhawks players, including two of the team’s biggest stars, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. It’s unclear what, if anything, they knew of the situation in 2010 and whether they contributed to the hostile environment that John Doe and others experienced. But the players are not in charge of the coaches and don’t have the authority to take action against them. That falls to Quenneville, Bowman, and the others who put their championship pursuit ahead of doing the right thing.
The NHL must make it clear: winning is important, but protecting people from such egregious, criminal conduct is far more important. And anyone who doesn’t understand that has no place in the league going forward.
