NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Blackhawks played a hockey game on Wednesday night that just seemed like it didn’t matter given the fallout from the independent investigation of the alleged sexual abuse by Brad Alrich.
Still, we will talk about it a bit this morning. First, I want to share the link to the Kyle Beach interview with Rick Westhead of TSN. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure that you watch it.
• Beach, a one-time first-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, spent 25 minutes speaking with TSN’s Rick Westhead on Sports Centre last night.
Kyle Beach, John Doe in the Blackhawks investigation, talks to @rwesthead about how his NHL experience 'changed forever,’ his reaction to the findings, and support for other victims of sexual assault.
VIDEO: https://t.co/hVG7ZYiY1d pic.twitter.com/vcQYxINOX8
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 27, 2021
• Beach spoke to Westhead about how the incident changed his life forever. How he regrets not speaking up sooner, something that he believes might have helped save a high school hockey player in Houghton, Mich. from being sexually assaulted by Brad Aldrich in 2013. Beach apologized to the player, and what’s disturbing in last night’s events is that Beach did more apologizing for not speaking out sooner than anyone in the Blackhawks organization has done throughout this entire ordeal.
• Jeremy Colliton, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews all stumbled over their words in their respective media availabilities on Wednesday, and all three went to the extent of praising Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac as good men who were somehow a victim of circumstance in all of this. Jonathan Toews’ comments were the worst of the trio’s, as he essentially said that he felt bad that Bowman and MacIsaac lost their lives as they knew them and their livelihoods. It was all just tone-deaf and ill-advised.
Kane and Toews Speak: Beach, Aldrich, Bowman, Consequences, Morehttps://t.co/SRZseMizWN pic.twitter.com/7cFj4R1quC
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) October 28, 2021
• But, if we’re being honest, just calling Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac what they are is the right thing to do. I understand that Kane and Toews came into the organization with those guys as the hockey bosses in Chicago and that Jeremy Colliton is only here today because Stan Bowman hired him. However, it’s ok to appreciate what Bowman has done for you while still acknowledging that what he did to Beach was wrong and that the consequences he has received are probably still too light. If these guys need an example of how they should be handling this, here it is:
For contrast, here is what Anthony Bourdain wrote upon finding out about allegations against one of his closest friends, Mario Batali.https://t.co/GXO3qsafCx https://t.co/y5WootI5ot pic.twitter.com/TXs3QW8nCs
— Adam Herman (@AdamZHerman) October 27, 2021
• When celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain spoke about a person that he considered one of his best friends, Mario Batali, regarding his own sexual abuse of women in their industry, he denounced any previous adoration of Batali and called Batalli what he is. It’s not that difficult of a concept to wrap your head around, and I’m extremely frustrated with the idea that these veterans of the NHL and the game of hockey can’t figure this one out.
• The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night and still somehow managed to lose another game, the seventh in a row to open the season. Toronto scored goals in the second, third, and overtime period to top Chicago, 3-2 in what feels like a much-deserved dose of Karma for the Blackhawks. I mean, can you imagine if we had to act as if we were happy for the Blackhawks if they would have won last night?
Enhanced Box Score: Maple Leafs 3, Blackhawks 2 — October 27, 2021 https://t.co/LQarJ8ZJU3
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) October 28, 2021
• The United Center had a bunch of empty seats for last night’s loss to the Maple Leafs, and I don’t imagine that’s going to be a theme that the Blackhawks escape anytime soon.
Tons and tons of empty seats at Blackhawks-Maple Leafs puck drop: pic.twitter.com/KpIok4I2Oo
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 27, 2021
• Joel Quenneville was not available to the media after last night’s Florida Panthers victory over the Bruins. Instead, Panthers’ GM Bill Zito addressed the media after the game. Here’s what Zito had to say regarding Quenneville, the Kyle Beach interview, and Quenneville’s meeting with the NHL today:
Bill Zito's postgame remarks on Kyle Beach and Joel Quenneville: pic.twitter.com/9OBSzaYXf8
— David Dwork (@DavidDwork) October 28, 2021
• Joel Quenneville will meet with Gary Bettman at his New York office this afternoon. Hopefully, we’ll see the right thing done in the end with Quenneville and Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, both of whom are now known to be involved in the cover-up of the sexual abuse of Kyle Beach when they were in Chicago.
I wrote about Joel Quenneville and Kevin Cheveldayoff still being employed in the NHL after being culpable in the sexual abuse incident in 2010. After hearing Beach's emotional interview tonight, I'm disgusted, and both need to be relieved. #Blackhawks https://t.co/TZZnnSbOdO
— Patrick K. Flowers (@PatrickKFlowers) October 27, 2021
• I sincerely hope that the NHL gets this one right because, as Kyle Beach said on Wednesday night, they let him and countless other players down in the pursuit of their own selfish interests in years past. Luckily for them, doing things in the best interest of their brand and their reputation this time would result in the removal of Quenneville and Cheveldayoff from their positions.
• Tonight is Joakim Noah night at the United Center when the Bulls host the New York Knicks. I’m very excited about tonight’s game and festivities. The Bulls did a great job making sure that so many of Noah’s former teammates and coaches were in the building for this one, and the action on the floor should be good too, as a pair of Eastern Conference up-and-comers will battle it out as the Bulls look to remain perfect on the season. The Bulls killed it with an awesome tribute video for Noah this morning as well.
The Joakim Noah Tribute Video Is Out and It’s Awesomehttps://t.co/cyv1r363Yy pic.twitter.com/hIYK9QPeCd
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) October 28, 2021
• Less than a week from the November 2 NFL trade deadline, the Chicago Bears should probably be listening to offers on Allen Robinson, but they probably aren’t.
Yeah, the Bears Should Probably Be Talking Allen Robinson Trades (But I Guarantee They Aren’t!)https://t.co/AazOhgejMo
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) October 28, 2021
That’s it for today!
