Blackhawks Sexual Assault | Brad Aldrich’s victim breaks the silence

Brad Aldrich’s victim no longer wants to hide. Never again. This is why she felt that the time had come to emerge from the shadows, now that the horror she experienced is known to all.

Simon-Olivier Lorange
Press

The young hockey player sexually assaulted by Aldrich during the 2010 playoffs with the Chicago Blackhawks is no longer called John Doe, a generic name given to him in the investigative report into the scandal exposed on Tuesday. Kyle Beach, a BC native and 2008 Hawks first-round pick, gave TSN’s Rick Westhead a lengthy interview and shared his story.

It was he who, 11 years ago, was assaulted by Aldrich, video coach of the Blackhawks. And it was also he who felt abandoned by the organization that drafted him.

During the approximately 25 minutes of the interview, Beach held back tears, only breaking down once.

In the spring of 2010, after completing his final junior season with the Spokane Chiefs, the young man, then aged 20, was successively recalled by the Rockford IceHogs, in the American League, then by the Blackhawks, in the NHL. , in preparation for the playoffs. He was part of the “black aces”, a group of reservists who train with the main club in the playoffs.

It was at this point that Aldrich’s advances occurred and the alleged assault occurred. “I was scared,” Beach admitted at the start of the interview. I felt lonely, I felt I couldn’t turn to anyone. At 20, you can’t imagine someone who’s supposed to help you become a better person, a better player, would act like that. ”

Alert

Despite Aldrich’s threats, Beach alerted skills trainer Paul Vincent, who himself informed his superiors of the situation.

According to an independent investigation led by a law firm and whose conclusions were revealed this week, the management of the Hawks then decided to cover up the case in order to focus on the Stanley Cup final which was about to begin. . After the championship, Aldrich resigned, but took part in all the celebrations over the following weeks. The team never conducted an investigation. She neither punished her employee nor provided assistance to her player.

Worse: Beach claims that Jim Gary, mental preparation coach and team advisor, blamed him for the crime he suffered.

The investigation report identifies Gary as one of the people who were aware of the allegations without having reacted. Also on the roster are Stan Bowman, club general manager, Al MacIsaac, senior executive director, John McDonough, organization president, Kevin Cheveldayoff, assistant GM, Jay Blunk, executive vice president, and Joel Quenneville, coach. -chief. Bowman and MacIsaac were until this week still employees of the Hakws and left their posts.

“It made me sick,” Beach said in an interview. I reported the facts, it went up the decision chain, and nothing happened. […] When they won, to see [Aldrich] parading, lifting the Cup, it made me feel like I didn’t exist. Like I’m not important. That he was right, and I was wrong. There are no words to describe it. ”

At the next training camp, Beach began to receive homophobic remarks. He quickly got the feeling that “everyone in the locker room” knew what had happened to him. What was publicly confirmed, a few weeks ago, the ex-players Nick Boynton and Brent Sopel.

Other victim

After his departure from the Blackhawks, Aldrich held various positions in the hockey community, including in the college ranks. He also collaborated with the American national program at the Vancouver Games in 2010, as well as at the U18 Worlds in 2011.

In 2013, while volunteering for a high school team in Michigan, he assaulted another young man. He then pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault on a minor.

When the reporter asked him what message he was sending to this young victim, Beach burst into tears. “I’m sorry I didn’t do more, when I could, to keep that from happening, to protect him,” he said. But I also have to thank him, because he’s the one who gave me the strength to act to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else. ”

“Unfortunately, he and I share something in common that will follow us for the rest of our lives,” he added.

After the events, lack of support, Beach undertook to erase this story from his memory in order to continue his hockey career. He played for the Hawks school club for a few years and, since 2014, he has played in Europe.

To repress this trauma in this way led him to “do stupid things”. He turned to alcohol and drugs. He no longer recognized himself.

So he first took legal action against Aldrich and the Blackhawks. The organization, apologizing to him this week, said it wanted to find an amicable settlement with its former player.

Healing

The investigation report gave him an incredible “release”. And it is only today that he feels able to begin a real healing.

Revealing his face to the public is for him a “big step” in this direction.

“For 11 years, I buried this, and it destroyed me,” he says. I want everyone to know, in sports and beyond, that you are not alone. You have to talk. ”

The Blackhawks, he said, although “too late” and despite past “denial”, have taken the necessary steps over the past few days to prevent situations like this from happening again.

He points to Don Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, who he says was made aware of the case and promised to launch an investigation into it – which he never does. come.

Beach is now challenging the NHL and its commissioner Gary Bettman to take responsibility for those involved in this matter who are still working in the league. Kevin Cheveldayoff is now general manager of the Winnipeg Jets and Joel Quenneville is head coach of the Florida Panthers. Bettman is expected to meet the two soon.

The leaders of the NHL “let me down and let down others than me,” he accuses.

“They have tried to protect their name at the expense of the health and well-being of those who risk their daily lives for them. I hope Gary Bettman takes the situation seriously this time around. ”