Kyle Beach Comes Forward As John Doe
Former Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach is coming forward as the “John Doe” that filed a lawsuit against the team for mishandling his sexual assault allegations. Beach revealed himself in an interview on TSN saying he felt “relief and vindication” and “it was no longer my word against everybody else’s.” An investigation concluded that nothing was done by senior leaders in Blackhawks’ coaching and management in 2010 after Beach reported that former team video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted and harassed him.
Meanwhile former Blackhawks head coach and current Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville may have to answer some tough questions today about his time as Blackhawks coach. The Panthers announced last night Quenneville will meet this afternoon in New York with the NHL commissioner to discuss sexual assault allegations made by former Blackhawks player Kyle Beach. In an interview with Canada’s TSN yesterday, Beach said Quenneville, when he was head coach of the Blackhawks eleven years ago, knew of allegations Beach made against a video coach, but Quenneville did nothing. Beach says there’s no way Quenneville can deny knowing about the allegations, and he believes Quenneville declined to take action because Quenneville thought winning a Stanley Cup was more important.