NHL reinstates former Blackhawks executives Joel Quenneville, Stan Bowman, and Al MacIsaac
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The NHL on Monday lifted its employment ban on former Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville and former team executives Stan Bowman and Al McIsaac, nearly three years after they were deemed ineligible to work for the league over their handling of the Kyle Beach sexual assault allegations.
Bowman resigned as the Blackhawks' president of hockey operations and general manager, MacIsaac was removed as the team's senior vice president, and Quenneville resigned as Florida Panthers coach in October 2021, after the release of a report that found the Blackhawks mishandled Beach's allegations that a former assistant coach sexually assaulted him during the Blackhawk's Stanley Cup run in 2010.
Their ousters came after the release of an independent report that found they and other team executives failed to promptly investigate Beach's claims he was sexually assaulted by former video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.
Since then, all three have been deemed ineligible to work for the NHL, but on Monday the league announced they may now seek jobs in the league again. The Blackhawks also were fined $2 million in 2021 for their mishandling of Beach's case.
"While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals (Messrs. Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville) has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership," the NHL said in a statement.
Before his stint with the Panthers, Quenneville had been fired by the Blackhawks in 2018, after a disappointing start to the 2018-19 season. The Blackhawks missed the playoffs in the 2017-18 season after nine consecutive postseason appearances, including three Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
While Quenneville, Bowman, and MacIsaac may now seek NHL employment, they may not officially enter into new contracts until July 10 at the earliest.
The league said all three have "made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse."
"The League expects that they will continue this commitment in any future capacity with the NHL and/or one of our Clubs," the league said.
Beach was the Blackhawks' first round draft pick in 2008, and was a member of their "Black Ace" squad during the 2010 Stanley Cup championship run, as a potential fill-in for a regular player on the team if needed during the playoffs
He has accused Aldrich of threatening him with a baseball bat before sexually assaulting him in May 2010. Beach has also claimed Aldrich told him he would never play in the NHL again if anyone found out.
Beach was 20 at the time, and told Canada's TSN SportsCentre he was "scared" and "fearful" following the alleged abuse.
"I would never dream, or you could never imagine being put in this situation by somebody who's supposed to be there to help you and to make you a better hockey player and a better person and continue to build your career," he told TSN. "Just scared and alone with no idea what to do."
Not only was Aldrich allowed to continue to work and travel with the team but was allowed to participate in Stanley Cup championship celebrations in Beach's presence, and also sexually assaulted a 22-year-old Blackhawks intern, according to the investigator's report.
Years later, he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old player while coaching at a Michigan high school.
In December 2021, Beach reached a confidential settlement with the Chicago Blackhawks in his lawsuit over his sexual assault claims.
In November 2023, one of Beach's teammates, identified in court papers only as John Doe, filed a lawsuit accusing Blackhawks' management of covering up sexual harassment and sexual assaults by Aldrich.
According to Doe's lawsuit, during the season, Aldrich arranged for Doe to get massages at the team hotel while the team was traveling for road games, and over the course of the season, Aldrich's behavior became overtly and aggressively sexual.
Doe's lawsuit against the Blackhawks accuses the team of "acting with an utter indifference and/or conscious disregard for the safety of its employees" after Doe reported his allegations to members of the training and coaching staff.