NEWSLETTER
Hey all, this is Mario, back at the helm of Bleacher Nation Blackhawks after two weeks off for the birth of my daughter, Cecilia. I wanted to quickly thank Brett and the rest of the guys at Bleacher Nation for the two weeks off to be with my family, it was very much appreciated. I also need to thank Patrick, especially, for his work running the BN Blackhawks page during one of the most intense and difficult times in Blackhawks history. I can’t thank them enough for carrying the load.
And we are far from seeing the end of the line with the news and stories that have come to fruition over the past few weeks. Very far from it. The Blackhawks snapping their losing streak to begin the season is one of the lowest news items on the food chain when it comes to the team and the league as a whole. From the NHL’s handling of the investigation, the NHLPA’s response to Kyle Beach and their failure to protect him as an NHL player (their one job), the steps the league and the sport need to take to initiate real change in the culture that has been created that protects people in power positions rather than those who are vulnerable, and much more. There is a major shift that needs to happen in hockey across leadership roles and the coaches and players that make the sport what it is at all levels, not just in the NHL, and it is just starting to unfold. Kyle Beach’s story and the lawsuits against the Blackhawks are not the end of this story, but rather the beginning.
Good to be back.
• Now that the investigation findings have been made public, Kyle Beach has come forward as “John Doe 1” and spoke about his harrowing experience, and the hammer has fallen on those who were found culpable in the sexual assault case, now comes the part in the legal process where justice AND retribution need to be served. On Tuesday both parties began the process of reaching a settlement in the case.
The Blackhawks and Kyle Beach's attorney talked for about an hour this afternoon. In a joint statement, they say the talks were "respectful and cordial but each side had differing view points… a positive dialogue has begun."
Sides plan to meet again in new future.— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) November 2, 2021
• The legal process is notoriously long and this won’t likely come down to a quick settlement. Beach and his side are rightfully not going to take anything less than what they feel they deserve from the Blackhawks. Who, by the way, started the process to try to sweep this case under the rug last winter, before the shortened 2020-21 season even began.
More details re genesis of Kyle Beach's lawsuit vs Blackhawks.
His lawyer and team attorney first spoke about allegations Dec. 18, 2020.
On Jan. 11, 2021, CHI lawyer told Kyle's attorney that the team had already done investigation and had no interest in a settlement.— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) November 2, 2021
• The allegations against Aldrich and the Blackhawks didn’t become public until last spring, blown open in parts by WBEZ’s Tony Arnold and Dave McKinney, as well as TSN’s Rick Westhead, The Athletic’s Katie Strang, Mark Lazerus, and Scott Powers, Chicago Sun Times’ Ben Pope, and Chicago Tribune’s Phil Thompson, and many others. Without their work in the difficult world investigative journalism can be, there’s a reality where Beach’s story never gets heard.
• Blackhawks ownership has said they knew nothing of the allegations against Brad Aldrich at the time in 2010, and were only made aware when the story became public. Well, we know now that they would have first heard of the allegations and the possibility of it becoming a bigger deal during December 2020/January 2021. Whether you believe Rocky Wirtz or not, as Scott Powers writes, the man at the very top of the organization, one that is now the central cog to a major culture shake-up in the hockey world, has a lot to answer for:
Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz may not have known anything about Kyle Beach’s allegations in 2010 like he says, but he has to answer some lingering questions before everyone will be convinced of that. My column: https://t.co/73LMvMrCrL
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 3, 2021
• Part of me feels like there is a small chance that Wirtz did not know in May of 2010 what had happened to Beach. But when Aldrich was let go from the team just days after winning the Stanley Cup, there had to be word run up the pole as to why a video coach, so entrusted by the coaching staff as an important part to winning the Stanley Cup, was resigning.
• Then there is this story, one that did not make the earth-shattering headlines across the hockey world back in 2016. Chris Block from Third Man In has spent some of the most time covering the Rockford IceHogs as anyone during the late-2000’s and into the 2010’s. Here, he details the story of former prospect Garret Ross being arrested and charged with felony revenge porn during the 2015-16 season and a key detail of a not-so-typical trip to Rockford made by Rocky Wirtz at the time.
Feb 2016, Garret Ross was arrested/charged with felony revenge porn. The next day Rocky Wirtz made a rare trip to Rockford. Ross played on. Six weeks later when arrest made the news, #Blackhawks claimed to have no prior knowledge of it and suspended Ross. https://t.co/wjXS1KRftb
— ChrisBlock (@ChrisBlock) November 3, 2021
• It’s hard to see the connection of the dots Block makes here and think that another sexual assault case could have come and gone without the team owner knowing.
• One man that has, so far, “survived” the fallout of the Jenner and Block investigation and findings is Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. In 2010, Cheveldayoff served as the assistant general manager to Stan Bowman with the Blackhawks. He was involved in “some” meeting regarding the allegations made by Kyle Beach against Brad Aldrich, but whether or not it was the now infamous meeting in May in San Jose, or at another time regarding the matter, Cheveldayoff was informed. He spoke to the media yesterday, along with Jets chairman and governor Mark Chipman to discuss Kyle Beach’s story and what he knew then and now.
Winnipeg Jets chairman and governor Mark Chipman and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff met with the media to discuss the Blackhawks investigation report and fallout from the allegations by Kyle Beach: https://t.co/4YrugC9UTy pic.twitter.com/9GJ6Ycdtoc
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) November 2, 2021
• Say what you want about the role an assistant general manager plays, but Cheveldayoff was second in command behind Stan Bowman at the time and did a well enough job to land with Winnipeg just a season later. His role was not, as Gary Bettman said on Monday, “limited.”
Something I can’t get past in all this is the portrayal of Stan Bowman as a trainee and Kevin Cheveldayoff as some random man.
— Steve “Dangle” Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) November 2, 2021
• Also failing Kyle Beach was the NHLPA, headed by Donald Fehr. The one job that the Players Association has to do is work on behalf of the players and protect them and their rights while working with the league. With their mishandling of the entire process and failure to protect Beach in 2010, the NHLPA is now under the microscope and under fire from the league’s current crop of players.
• Vancouver Canucks NHLPA rep and Captain Bo Horvat is one of a number of players that have not only spoke out in support of Beach following the release of the investigation findings, but also to criticize the NHLPA’s work handling the situation.
Canucks player rep Bo Horvat with strong words about NHLPA launching investigation of its handling of Kyle Beach case. pic.twitter.com/OVUL79Uv3O
— Iain MacIntyre (@imacSportsnet) November 2, 2021
• Another player voice that has been prominent in the fallout of the investigation findings in former Blackhawks goaltender Robin Lehner. Never one to hold back his opinion, Lehner has spoken to Beach personally and has voiced his support for him and others who have been wronged in the NHL and the hockey community.
“Everything I’m doing is for Kyle Beach…he hasn’t been given the benefit for a long time…”
Robin Lehner on the findings of the Blackhawks investigation and encouraging NHL players to be part of a culture change: https://t.co/l8Y22UADp3 pic.twitter.com/FwH1aPtoZ6
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) November 3, 2021
• But Lehner cannot lead the charge alone, like he has done in recent years when it comes to advocating for his fellow NHL players. As Chris Johnston writes in the Toronto Star, this is a time for other NHL players to speak up amidst the culture change in the hockey world.
New, for @StarSports: Why Robin Lehner needs other NHLers to speak up.https://t.co/4NZ1CULRVE
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 3, 2021
• In Blackhawks prospect news, the team has signed 2020 seventh-round pick Louis Crevier.
Blackhawks Sign Defenseman Louis Crevier (2020 Seventh Round Pick)https://t.co/a6CoEMs80y
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 2, 2021
• The towering 6’8″ defenseman stood out during the Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase and Blackhawks training camp and has three goals and six points in eight QMJHL games with the Quebec Remparts this season.
• The Rockford IceHogs are off to a slow start this season in the AHL. coming into the year, I had high hopes for the IceHogs, with a lineup of promising young talent led by Blackhawks 2020 first-round pick Lukas Reichel. While Reichel has shone so far through six games, Rockford is just 2-4-0 with a minus-nine goal differential.
Lukas Reichel says he’s still adjusting to playing on the smaller ice, especially playing in the corners. He’s taking a patient approach and not trying to rush to get to the NHL.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 2, 2021
• With five points through the first six games, Reichel continues to progress in his first season in North America. It’s hard to imagine not seeing Reichel with the Blackhawks sometime soon, especially if the team continues on their current trend with one win in their first ten games.
Nylander describes Lukas Reichel as “unbelievable” and says he’s been trying to help him adjust as a young AHL player.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 2, 2021
• Another bright spot for the IceHogs is Alex Nylander coming out to a hot start in the first handful of games. With four goals in six games, Nylander is coming back from missing all of last season due to a knee injury and surgery.
Alex Nylander feels like being in Rockford has helped him regain confidence in his knee and in his game. He’s hopeful to be back in the NHL soon.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 2, 2021
• Nylander was one of the last players sent to the IceHogs out of training camp and if his current start to the season is sustainable, don’t be surprised to see him work his way back into the Blackhawks lineup as well in the near future.
Derek King says the Blackhawks have prioritized giving starts to Arvid Soderblom over Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban with the IceHogs.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 2, 2021
• Of note in the goaltending situation in Rockford, newcomer Arvid Söderblom has been great and has been prioritized over Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia to begin the season. Söderblom is seeing, on average, 48 shots per game in his three appearances for the IceHogs, leading to a weird stat-line of a 4.00 GAA and a .917 save-percentage. Interesting to see how the trio have been used so far and if, again, this trend continues, it will be interesting to see what happens with Delia and Subban after they battled to be the NHL backup in training camp.
• Piling on the bad looks for the franchise, Russian prospect Artur Kayumov made negative waves in the hockey world after his awful choice of a Halloween costume. He has since deleted the post showing his costume and posted an apology online.
Artur Kayumov made a statement (in Russian and English) on his Instagram story apologizing for his Halloween costume. #Blackhawks https://t.co/ijIC7BgSJm pic.twitter.com/feCc9YTDKt
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) November 3, 2021
• I can’t facepalm any harder.
• In the league last night, a battle for highlight of the night came down to Toronto Maple Leafs Mitch Marner with this insane spin and score move…
Magical Mitch Marner (@Marner93) 🔮 pic.twitter.com/R6GYiK0ld6
— NHL (@NHL) November 2, 2021
• And Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko with this insane string of scramble saves WITHOUT his blocker!
Just an absurd sequence from Thatcher Demko playing without his blocker pic.twitter.com/RKWYtbSTaq
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) November 3, 2021
• If you ask me, a goalie making saves without a necessary piece of padding is always going to rank high on my highlights list.
• Finally, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan with the latest on the Jack Eichel front. It appears the trade partners for the former Sabres captain has come down to the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights.
Here’s the latest on Jack Eichel.
Multiple sources tell ESPN it’s down to Calgary and Vegas. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is working hard to get it done, but neither team has met his asks yet.
Sources say both teams are OK with Eichel getting his preferred surgery. pic.twitter.com/uiJsGFeDmE
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) November 3, 2021
• Another situation to monitor as the Flames are out to a hot start in the Pacific Division, while the Golden Knights have so far stumbled out of the gate.
• That will do it for today. Hope you all have a good Wednesday and we will see you tonight for Blackhawks and Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. CT!
