(TW: sexual attack, sexual harassment)
I’ll be fair, I actually idea the Kyle Seaside lawsuit in opposition to the Blackhawks again in 2021 — and the entire resulting studies published in regards to the rot that festered underneath the Hawks’ mythical Stanley Cup runs from 2010-2015 — would see lovers pronouncing, “sufficient.” Possibly I shouldn’t have. It hadn’t took place with the dangerous habits via one of the famous person avid gamers right through that point, which everybody in Chicago appeared to have a tale about. It didn’t occur when lovers pressured reporters and compelled a lady accusing a participant of sexual attack to escape her fatherland. However no doubt, no doubt, an unbiased record detailing how the Hawks coated up the alleged sexual attack of one among their AHL avid gamers via an assistant trainer — that needed to be the general straw for Blackhawks lovers. Proper?
If the collection of lovers flocking to the United Middle to look at best draft select Connor Bedard and fortuitously posting pics in their youngsters in Hawks jerseys on social media is any indication, it used to be now not the general straw. However now, simply two years after the daming “Kyle Seaside Document” used to be launched — and the Hawks and Seaside reached a confidential agreement — the Hawks in finding themselves at the receiving finish of any other lawsuit from a participant, additionally claiming that he used to be sexually assaulted via former Hawks assistant trainer Brad Aldrich.
Consistent with the Chicago Tribune, “A former member of the Chicago Blackhawks’ “Black Aces” squad and teammate of Kyle Seaside has alleged in a lawsuit that former video trainer Brad Aldrich ‘groomed, pressured, threatened and assaulted’ him right through the 2009-10 season and that the Hawks suppressed his grievance to give protection to their Stanley Cup championship run.”
The grievance, filed beneath the identify John Doe in Prepare dinner County Circuit Courtroom on Thursday, contained some actually horrific allegations, together with that, “Aldrich sneaked into the bed room whilst John Doe and (a) lady have been having intercourse and attempted to insert himself into the come across, making his presence first recognized via enjoying with John Doe’s ft in the dead of night,” that Aldrich despatched Doe “a textual content message with an image of Trainer Aldrich’s penis (which Doe allegedly confirmed to then-team President John McDonough’s secretary, and that, “On more than one events … Aldrich approached John Doe from at the back of, grabbed him in a hugging gesture, and flooring his penis in opposition to John Doe’s again and buttocks via his garments.”
The lawsuit additional alleges that the Blackhawks group confirmed “utter indifference and/or aware omit for the protection of its staff.”
The unknown participant’s legal professionals have showed to the Tribune that their consumer used to be in the past known as “Black Ace 1” in an unbiased record (the record), commissioned via the Blackhawks and undertaken via the regulation company Jenner & Block.
The allegations in Doe’s lawsuit echo Seaside’s claims. The record discovered that “president of hockey operations and basic supervisor Stan Bowman and senior vice chairman of hockey operations Al MacIsaac met with John McDonough, Jay Blunk, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Joel Quenneville and James Gary in Would possibly 2010 to speak about the allegations. No motion used to be taken for 3 weeks, after the Blackhawks gained and celebrated the 2010 Stanley Cup.” Seaside additionally claimed that his teammates started the usage of homophobic slurs in opposition to him after his record of Aldrich’s attack unfold.
Aldrich resigned from the crew in 2010, however nonetheless gained a severance and playoff bonus, in line with the Seaside record, and his identify used to be inscribed at the Stanley Cup at the side of the remainder of the coaches. It wasn’t till 2021 that the Blackhawks asked it’s got rid of. There are many pics circulating on the net of Aldrich hoisting the 2010 Stanley Cup, smartly after the group used to be acutely aware of Seaside’s allegations. After which there’s the truth that Aldrich’s departure used to be treated so quietly, that he went on to train at a Michigan highschool, the place Aldrich used to be promptly accused of assaulting a highschool participant in 2013. He spent 9 months in jail and stays at the state’s intercourse perpetrator registry. Most likely, had the Hawks taken Seaside’s claims extra severely, they may have averted Aldrich assaulting any individual else.
After the Seaside record, the Hawks did and stated the entire proper issues, together with penning a letter to lovers in October of 2021 about the entire tactics the crew would try to be higher. “What we do off the ice is similarly as vital as the rest we do on it,” the letter stated. “Our possession and management groups are dedicated to making sure that the Blackhawks adhere to the very best moral, skilled, and athletic requirements.” That letter, and the feelings inside of it, have been virtually totally obliterated via Hawks proprietor Rocky Wirtz simply 4 months later, when he scolded a reporter at a town-hall assembly for asking about Seaside. “We’re now not going to discuss Kyle Seaside,” Wirtz angrily stated. “We’re now not going to discuss the rest that took place. Now we’re transferring on. What extra do I’ve to mention?”
Wirtz gave up the ghost in July 0f 2023, and his son, Danny, is now the chairman and CEO of the group. However the query lingers, in gentle of the brand new lawsuit, of whether or not issues in reality have modified within the Blackhawks’ locker room, or whether or not the crew is solely looking forward to the lovers to forgive them, once more, so they may be able to put all of it within the rearview replicate. The crew’s reaction this time round shall be telling. And so will that of its lovers.
For those who or anyone you like has been the sufferer of sexual attack, name the Nationwide Sexual Attack Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 Loose. Confidential. 24/7.
