Blackhawks sued (again) by teammate of Kyle Beach for sexual assault

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Maybe this is an old fashioned way of looking at it, but whatever happened to the days when a man would risk getting punched in the nose for coming onto and threatening a guy like this? I guess 20 year olds were different in 2010 or whatever, but there is no way if I am Beach of John Doe that if anyone tried that crap with me that they end up with less than a bloody nose.

Weird power fantasy aside, let's say you throw a punch. Perv throws one back, maybe more than one, and he is also in a position of power over you. Who are you telling, the f***ing coach who helped cover it up? The team leaders who also said nothing (one of whom has his own questionable history involving alleged criminal activity)?

 

[Memento]

Maybe this is an old fashioned way of looking at it, but whatever happened to the days when a man would risk getting punched in the nose for coming onto and threatening a guy like this? I guess 20 year olds were different in 2010 or whatever, but there is no way if I am Beach of John Doe that if anyone tried that crap with me that they end up with less than a bloody nose.

Aldrich threatened Beach and John Doe with their entire careers, and everyone - from their teammates who insulted them with slurs, to the coaches and front office that tried to bury it - was against them and on Aldrich's side.

If I went and punched my old boss when he screwed me over, I'd go to prison, have a criminal record, and nobody would be on my side - and I was a lot older than Kyle Beach and John Doe. They were basically kids. At that age, kids usually go to college, and their minds aren't fully formed yet until a bit later (25 years old, for clarification). There's shame, guilt, fear, all negative emotions that would prevent them from retaliating.

And then there's the whole power dynamic of a coach who would threaten to bury you in the minors if you didn't do what he wanted you to do. In Aldrich's case, if Beach and Doe didn't accept his advances, he'd have their careers derailed (which eventually happened). And worse still, everyone was on Aldrich's side.

 

[Crosby2010]

Weird power fantasy aside, let's say you throw a punch. Perv throws one back, maybe more than one, and he is also in a position of power over you. Who are you telling, the f***ing coach who helped cover it up? The team leaders who also said nothing (one of whom has his own questionable history involving alleged criminal activity)?

That's a lot of what ifs, but chances are he doesn't throw one back. Bullies are cowards, and Beach was 6'3" and Aldrich was 5'8". Also had a wife (does he still have a wife?). He is most certainly going to do nothing and not want that attention brought to himself.

 

[Crosby2010]

Aldrich threatened Beach and John Doe with their entire careers, and everyone - from their teammates who insulted them with slurs, to the coaches and front office that tried to bury it - was against them and on Aldrich's side.

If I went and punched my old boss when he screwed me over, I'd go to prison, have a criminal record, and nobody would be on my side - and I was a lot older than Kyle Beach and John Doe. They were basically kids. At that age, kids usually go to college, and their minds aren't fully formed yet until a bit later (25 years old, for clarification). There's shame, guilt, fear, all negative emotions that would prevent them from retaliating.

And then there's the whole power dynamic of a coach who would threaten to bury you in the minors if you didn't do what he wanted you to do. In Aldrich's case, if Beach and Doe didn't accept his advances, he'd have their careers derailed (which eventually happened). And worse still, everyone was on Aldrich's side.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying there is a certain way you had to act. I get it, Theo Fleury probably could have taken a swing at Graham James, but he had Graham's thumb over him. He was a bit younger than Beach, and a lot smaller too of course. I can see the prospect of a career in the NHL might have been on the mind of Beach. But there is no way I let that little runt Aldrich do that. And he's not exactly going to whisper a word about it if he gets his butt kicked in. Because exactly how does he explain that? "Oh by the way Rocky, this kid didn't respond well to my sexual advances.............."

Yeah, he's not going to say that. If anything he'd hope Beach wouldn't out him. I'll stick to what I said before, slug these guys right in the nose. Case closed.

 

[Brookbank]

What will the punishment be this time ? Macklin Celibrini ?

This really isn't going away like the NHL hoped. They will be forced to do something. The punishment will have to fit the crime before this goes away. A first and a second round pick for 2024 and maybe this will finally fade away.

 

[Memento]

Don't get me wrong I am not saying there is a certain way you had to act. I get it, Theo Fleury probably could have taken a swing at Graham James, but he had Graham's thumb over him. He was a bit younger than Beach, and a lot smaller too of course. I can see the prospect of a career in the NHL might have been on the mind of Beach. But there is no way I let that little runt Aldrich do that. And he's not exactly going to whisper a word about it if he gets his butt kicked in. Because exactly how does he explain that? "Oh by the way Rocky, this kid didn't respond well to my sexual advances.............."

Yeah, he's not going to say that. If anything he'd hope Beach wouldn't out him. I'll stick to what I said before, slug these guys right in the nose. Case closed.

Aldrich would simply say, "Kyle Beach took a swing at me. He's out of control; he's not the kind of player we want on our team." And they'd listen to him because he had all the power. Like Graham James, Aldrich had all of the power over the young players (and the teenager he assaulted later, for that matter) because he had manipulated them, promised them a productive NFL career if they listened to him and threatened to bury their career if they didn't.

Everyone on that team knew about it. It was not a secret. They knew, and hid what Aldrich did, and it was enough for Blackhawk players to taunt Beach and call him gay slurs the very next season.

 

[norrisnick]

People are not just saying Q thought that. They're saying they believe there was a competetive advantage by proof of authority, that Q said it would be a distraction.

Which would mean Q is right. Which is scummy to argue some weird the Blackhawks should be punished draftwise point.

Peope on here are saying the equivalent of Bob was right. They're not just saying Bob thought that. They're saying Bob thinking it proves it so.

Bob was right (ie correct, not right as in right or wrong). Killing Steve allowed him to get the last cupcake.

 

[Crosby2010]

Aldrich would simply say, "Kyle Beach took a swing at me. He's out of control; he's not the kind of player we want on our team." And they'd listen to him because he had all the power. Like Graham James, Aldrich had all of the power over the young players (and the teenager he assaulted later, for that matter) because he had manipulated them, promised them a productive NFL career if they listened to him and threatened to bury their career if they didn't.

Everyone on that team knew about it. It was not a secret. They knew, and hid what Aldrich did, and it was enough for Blackhawk players to taunt Beach and call him gay slurs the very next season.

You never know. I am still leaning on the side that getting his clock cleaned stops him. It minimizes the chances that Aldrich makes a big deal out of it. Can you imagine that story breaking in May of 2010, just as they are trying to win the Cup? No, I think it teaches him a lesson and the Hawks would have still gotten rid of him at the end of the year. By the way, I don't hear a lot about his wife. I am highly suspect that his wife would know about this and that he would want his family knowing about this. I think the whole thing hinged on these black aces being quiet about it.

This stuff happens more than we think. Terry Crews, if people know that actor (you will recognize him if you Google him) apparently got his crotch grabbed by a Hollywood director/producer at a party once and it was in front of Crews' wife. I guess Crews just sort of did nothing, thinking that it wouldn't look good to hit him. If I recall he felt it would jeopardize his career, and a strong muscular black man hitting an executive like that wouldn't have been a good look. But I don't know, I think my reaction immediately is still hitting them.

 

[Section88]

Maybe this is an old fashioned way of looking at it, but whatever happened to the days when a man would risk getting punched in the nose for coming onto and threatening a guy like this? I guess 20 year olds were different in 2010 or whatever, but there is no way if I am Beach of John Doe that if anyone tried that crap with me that they end up with less than a bloody nose.

Aldrich had a baton/mini baseball bat that he threatened Beach with.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

Is the internet using the "everyone was fired " excuse still?

So if everyone during the assaults were fired, it's like it never happened now and the Blackhawks are not to blame? Is that the card people are playing?

Good lord.....

 

[Darren McCord]

Since it wasn't considered a competitive issue, a 2 million dollar fine, nothing else. Rocky is dead and stepped away from the day to day after all this came out. It still hasn't been shown that even was aware of all this when it happened. I understand why fans of other teams are mad about it, but it is what it is.

So ya nothing. The league continues to be a joke and does nothing to deter heinous behavior. It shouldn't be it is what it is. That is the problem dude.

It can be better, if the league actually tried.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Maybe this is an old fashioned way of looking at it, but whatever happened to the days when a man would risk getting punched in the nose for coming onto and threatening a guy like this? I guess 20 year olds were different in 2010 or whatever, but there is no way if I am Beach of John Doe that if anyone tried that crap with me that they end up with less than a bloody nose.

The power dynamic between Aldrich and Beach was not their physical size. Aldrich made it clear he could destroy any chance of Beach playing in the NHL.

These predators have a way of sniffing out and grooming those they think they can manipulate.

 

[Darren McCord]

But I don't know, I think my reaction immediately is still hitting them.

Pretty easy to say when your not in the situation. Imagine wanting to clock someone but not being able to because you might lose everything.

 

[Byron Bitz]

This time fans and media need to put pressure on the NHL to take a 1st round pick from them.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Is the internet using the "everyone was fired " excuse still?

So if everyone during the assaults were fired, it's like it never happened now and the Blackhawks are not to blame? Is that the card people are playing?

Good lord.....

Not to mention the team probably most "punished" by anybody being fired was the Florida Panthers.

 

[PromisedLand]

Someone start a petition to get Bedard off that team

 

[njdevils1982]

Someone start a petition to get Bedard off that team

why just him?

 

[catnip]

It doesn't matter if Quenneville was right. His/their actions were motivated by the belief that covering things up would protect their precious competitive advantage (or competitive status quo). Whether or not we agree with that assessment is meaningless.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

My personal issue is that the Blues - and recently the Senators - have been punished with loss of first round draft picks for lesser crimes than what the Blackhawks had done, and that the Blackhawks had the equivalent of - like I mentioned in my first post - a naughty toddler getting a thirty-second timeout for misbehaving and right afterward, getting a cookie, ice cream, and a brand new toy.

Can you understand how frustrating that may seem to fans of other teams?

Blackhawks fans wouldn't understand because they weren't hockey fans till 2007 or so.

 

[Terry Yake]

so this means they'll be gifted another #1 overall pick?

 

[ru4reals]

so this means they'll be gifted another #1 overall pick?

Watch it happen too. LOL.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

I am just here to see how many posts say the Hawks should lose specifically last year's draft pick. Which, nobody cared about until Bedard was drafted.

Takes like yours and the many others like yours are so intentionally ignorant and revisionist. Do we need to link you people to the discussion that went on when the NHL announced the "punishment" the Black Hawks were receiving? Many, many people were appalled that they received that joke of a fine and did not suffer the loss of MULTIPLE draft picks.
Guess what? That was long before the league gifted them Bedard. So plenty of people are more concerned with a punishment that acts as a true deterrent to this shit ever happening again and are less concerned with where Connor Bedard plays out his career. If the penalty doesn't make the next team say, "Oh shit, we need to report this ASAP," then it is not addressing the real issue. But people like you can wave that off by repeating the falsehood that no one cared until Bedard.

 

[Space umpire]

Maybe get rid of Rocky Wirtz bronzed chair while you’re at

Not having definitive evidence that Rocky knew isn't the same as concluding factually he didn't know.

McDonough is certainly culpable but he informed HR three weeks after the Cup finals. So Human Resources knew, the president knew, the GM knew, the Assistant GM knew, the coach knew, the Senior Director of Hockey Operations knew, the mental skills coach knew, according to the report several players and staff members knew.

But somehow Rocky was completely unaware of a situation that put his franchise at major legal exposure? You don't think legal was consulted, who would immediately inform him of the situation?

When people wonder how could there be a culture where this many people could let something like this happen, Rocky answered that question with his press conference.I

I think you’re missing something… read the report. The Blackhawk Hockey HR was informed of an unofficial complaint and personnel moves. McDonough is the top of the food chain in as far as being employed by Rocky but paid entirely by the hockey team with no Wirtz corp dollars involved.

 

[PattyLafontaine]

Fine Chicago a billion dollars, I don’t care. But all you guys want is the loss of picks. I wonder why.

Do you wonder? It has do with making sure that no franchise does something like this ever again by making the penalties extremely harsh.

Money does nothing for big franchises.

Never going to see an organization lose picks for criminal stuff. Someone hits their wife it’s a 3rd. Sexual assault a 1st. Murder multiple 1sts?

Slippery slope they’ll never start.


This isn’t anything new. Another player from the report is suing. But you wouldn’t know.

Did the Blackhawks staff commit these theoretical crimes and did the Blackhawks coverup these theoretical crimes?

Oh, they didn't then why would the Blackhawks forfeit picks for those crimes...

Typical DARVO response

 

[PattyLafontaine]

Agreed but why stain everyone in the entire organization with the same brush...wait that doesn't fit the way these threads go with limited information then wild over the top conclusions and social media justice.

Perhaps if and when we have a clearer picture of what did and didn't happen and who did or didn't do something people could limited their comments on just that?

Big ask I know.


Exactly what culpability does the NHL have here or hockey Canada with individuals actions?

Because the organization engaged in covering up sexual assaults? I cannot comprehend why people do not understand this. This is like why should Penn St. should suffer for hiding a sexual predator. They benefitted and still benefit from not being punished.

What this tells these organizations is that they get a slap on the wrist for being complicit in concealing felonies.

So why should they reform their behavior? After all they'll pay a 2 million dollar fine for a multi-billion dollar company.

Guess who pays for this? Blackhawk fans. They literally pay for it through ticket and concession price increases.