Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke for the first time on Tuesday after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced he would not be penalized for what happened at Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.
Last week, independent firm Jenner & Block revealed that the Blackhawks staff was aware of Brad Aldrich’s alleged sexual assault on former player Kyle Beach, but no action had been taken. taken to help the victim.
Then head coach Joel Quenneville resigned his post with the Florida Panthers last Thursday. Stan Bowman, general manager in Chicago in 2010, also left office earlier in the week, as did the president of hockey operations, Al MacIsaac.
As for Cheveldayoff, who was the deputy general manager at the time, Commissioner Bettman agreed on Friday that he would keep his job as general manager of the Winnipeg Jets. And so, that he wouldn’t have to pay for the decisions made by the Blackhawks. This is because of the post he held at the time.
“Cheveldayoff was not a senior member of the team’s staff in 2010,” Bettman wrote in a statement. I cannot therefore make him bear the responsibility for the actions, or inactions, taken by the club. He explained the degree of his involvement in the affair, and it boiled down exclusively to his presence in one meeting. I found him credible and cooperative during our discussion. ”
In a press conference that stretched over nearly an hour and a quarter on Tuesday at the end of the day, Cheveldayoff explained that he had taken part in the May 23, 2010 meeting with members of the Blackhawks’ staff, but that the allegations had been presented to him as harassment and not assault. He believed at the time that these were inappropriate texts and verbal comments.
He then said he left the meeting “with the understanding that these allegations would be handled by those above. [de lui dans la hiérarchie] “. “Three weeks later, when I learned that the individual in question was no longer a member of the organization, I interpreted that the situation had been corrected. ”
If I had known after this meeting that there had been sexual assaults, I like to think that I would have acted differently and that everyone else in this room would have acted differently.
Kevin cheveldayoff
Cheveldayoff indicated that “what Kyle [Beach] went through is unacceptable and intolerable, ”adding that no one should have to go through what they went through. “Kyle was abandoned by a system that should have helped him, but didn’t. I’m sorry that my own assumptions about this system clearly weren’t good enough. ”
“I had the opportunity to reflect after reading the report and after seeing the moving interview [de Kyle Beach à TSN], he continued. I’m sorry that I couldn’t change what happened or how it was handled back then, but I can learn from that and make sure it never happens again.
“We all have to do better. There are far too many people who use their position to harass and assault others. I am committed to being a part of the change in hockey, I will speak and learn from survivors about what we can do better in our sport. “
Systemic issues
At a press conference, Cheveldayoff was accompanied by the CEO of the Jets, Mark Chipman, who delivered a long speech. He also had to take a few breaks, visibly affected.
“It’s been a horrible week for Kyle Beach and all the victims of sexual assault and harassment,” he initially suggested.
The 61-year-old then gave statistics of sexual assault, before listing the three ways in which victims generally react. The first is by telling their story and getting the support “they need and deserve”. The second, by remaining silent for fear of being judged and facing reprisals. And the third, by telling their story, but without the adults who hear them reacting adequately.
“Kyle Beach falls into this third category,” he argued. […] Kyle should be commended not only for telling his story, but also for courageously serving as an example for other survivors. ”
“I can’t pretend I know what Kyle has been through, but I have seen the impact that sexual abuse can have,” he said before taking a long, emotional pause. About people who are really close to me… ”
Chipman then recounted Cheveldayoff’s version, before coming to his defense. “He was told by the leaders of this organization that they were going to investigate and deal with the situation. In his role, he did not have frequent contact with the coach or the players. He wasn’t aware of the prejudice Kyle had experienced. He couldn’t have known.
“Nonetheless, had he known, the Kevin Cheveldayoff I know would have acted and done whatever it took to ensure that Kyle received all the support he needed, that his privacy would have been protected and that the ‘author [de ces agressions] would have been in a position to never hurt anyone else. ”
Chipman has repeatedly insisted on the need to bring about a change within the “system”.
“I pledge today to use my influence within the NHL to recognize that there are systemic issues that require systemic solutions. And that all stakeholders and trained staff will come together to improve resources and ensure that future situations like this are prevented and foster a culture where victims of sexual harassment and abuse can tell their stories and facilitate their success. healing. ”