Nick Boynton and Brent Sopel both came out and said the players all knew about it and Kyle Beech said last night that everyone on the team knew about it and made slurs and jokes towards him. Hearing Kane and Toews' responses last night are illustrative of how that kind of culture could have existed. Toews was the captain. It's on him.
As stated by many on Twitter, those presently in the league don’t remember anything , and those out of it remember everything.
I'm with you. Best sport, worst league. Every time they have a chance to handle a situation like this the right way, they fail. Every time. Hockey culture is poisonous and destructive and the league is run by a bunch of old dipshits that believe its "special." No - its what allows things like this to happen. I don't think Q survives the day. Cheveldayoff shouldn't either but that's because the PR has swung so badly the last 48 hours, not because of a sense of accountability. Unfortunately there wont be any accountability for Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane and the other players on that team that either joked about it or were in a position of power to do something about it. A blackhawks intern was assaulted after this and that's on all of them. A 16 year old kid in Michigan was assaulted and that's on all of them. There are almost certainly others, and its on them. But they won a cup. Assholes.
Speaking from experience - any time a male comes forward with a story of male on male sexual assault - he will receive a lot of criticism. From "why didn't you beat him up," to "well you must have enjoyed it then."
I hope he is out. I hope is not because of "backlash" but because the only version of events out there is that Quenneville protected an assistant coach who sexually assaulted a player and that coaches who protect such criminals should not be permitted to coach in the NHL. Not remembering is not the same as denying. Bettman knows this. I doubt he has the nerve to say it.
Those comments by Toews are shocking levels of WTF. I know none of the players who responded to Beach by hazing him are going to face any repercussions, but man, it would be nice to see it happen just once.
Coach Q also wrote Aldrich a letter of rec following that matter’s resignation for a youth hockey position, where Aldrich proceeded to assault a 16 year old. This is some Cardinal Law shit.
I have 2 nephews playing at the AAA elite level at ages 11 and 8 and my son is 6 in youth hockey and I'm sad to say, we have a LONG way to go.
On a related note, Nick Boynton and Brent Sopel have openly talked about their struggles off the ice.
I coach u12 and my son (8) and daughter (6) both play. I’m horrified by some of the coaches and parents, but it’s getting better…slowly, but it is.
This combined with what Q knew makes it fucking ridiculous that they even let him coach yesterday. If they try to get away with anything short of firing him completely that organization should be burned to the ground.
Mild correction; The people in power using fear and intimidation across the league are not all old…otherwise, yes - that’s how the NHL rolls, from Bettman on down.
100%.
So is Joe. If he even had one ounce of shame he would fucking resign and never come back to hockey over this disgrace.
Toews has me more pissed off than 1000 Matt Cookes. I'm ready for someone to go Aldo Raine with a skate blade to Toews's forehead.
I thought he was the assistant GM, and he lied earlier about not knowing anything until after Aldrich was terminated? Guess he is high up in enough in the NHL old boys club to skate away free on this...
Yeah, he was the AGM. The league essentially buys that he wasn't fully briefed on the claims and his attendance in the meeting was his only involvement. As the lowest ranking individual in the room, he had no authority or responsibility over the matter. The blame got put on Cheveldayoff's boss (Bowman), boss' boss (McDonough) and Quenneville who had oversight over Aldrich.
And then he issues this turd of a statement.
Yes. Kyle Beach said he was sorry to the 16 year old who the Blackhawks allowed to get assaulted by giving Aldrich a quality work review.
Quoted for truth.
Fire them into the sun. They've handled this situation for the entirety of it in a way that shows how deeply they felt like they'd not be held accountable for this awfulness. It's like they thought they'd be fine because McDonough is gone. There has yet to be even a sympathetic person from their side outside of their victim.
When discussing this situation with my non-hockey-fan girlfriend, she asked the same question, and then "how important is a video coach, really" and I don't know if I have an answer to that. I don't think anyone is "too valuable to let go", personally, but this is an interesting rhetorical question.
If the league was very serious about this, they would force the Wirtz Family to sell. They may not have been apprised of the original Aldrich incidents, but they they created the culture where it occured and continue to fight legal liability. Misleading the league should be the nail in the coffin.
