Tag: Chicago Blackhawks

Andrei Vasilevskiy made a mind-blowing save for the Lightning with just the handle of his stick

Vasilevskiy with a save of the year candidate!

This save from Andrei Vasilevskiy is surely going to give Kirby Dach nightmares.

During the first period of Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks, Vasilevskiy pulled out all the stops to keep Dach from scoring on a gaping wide open net. With the Lightning defense collapsed, the Blackhawks took advantage of a rare miscue from the usually stout Tampa Bay blueline. Brandon Hagel fed a great pass between the sliding Lightning defenders right to Dach, who had so much wide open space in front of him as he one-touched the puck to the net.

However, Vasilevskiy slid over just in time to knock the puck away with the handle of his stick, fully stretching out into the splits to bat it out of harm’s way with about an inch of wood. Seriously, this is a save of the year candidate if we’ve ever seen one.

Talk about a brilliant move from Vasilevskiy to keep Dach from the back of the net. Vasilevskiy’s one of the best netminders in the NHL and he showed us why with this ridiculous save.

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The hockey men continue to have no idea how to own their part in ruining Kyle Beach’s life

Failing to hold Kevin Cheveldayoff accountable is a travesty.

The NHL continues to flub the handling of its sexual abuse scandal in new and astonishing ways.

It’s tragic that I have to point out, up there in the first paragraph, that this isn’t some sort of anomaly; powerful people in sports have made a habit of covering up this sort of abuse. This isn’t some outlier. It’s just the NHL’s turn.

Yet the supposed leaders in various leagues and conferences repeatedly show they have learned nothing, at all, about how to handle the fallout — which guarantees they are not ready to make necessary changes to prevent these things in the future.

If you aren’t yet well-versed in the story of former Blackhawks player Kyle Beach — who was sexually assaulted by a staff member in 2010, reported it and was ignored — read Mary Clarke’s timeline of the situation.

While two of the leaders from that Blackhawks era have been forced to resign (Stan Bowman as GM in Chicago, Joel Quenneville as the head coach in Florida, where he’d been since 2019), the NHL announced Friday that it would not discipline Kevin Cheveldayoff, now the general manager in Winnipeg.

That makes no sense. You can, and most certainly should, hold someone responsible for not informing proper authorities about allegations of sexual assault. Which is what happened with Cheveldayoff. Per USA TODAY:

According to the findings released from a team-commissioned independent investigation by Jenner & Block on Tuesday, Cheveldayoff, then Chicago’s assistant GM, was part of a meeting with team leaders who did not act when a player, “John Doe,” alleged former video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him in 2010. The May 23 meeting also included former GM Stan Bowman, ex-coach Joel Quenneville and team president John McDonough, who would not report the alleged incident to human resources until June 14, days after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Human resources allowed Aldrich to resign June 16 instead of face an investigation.

What an awful message NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is sending. This only reinforces the idea that matters like this should be left to “senior” managers, when we have seen, time after time, that those are precisely the people most likely to cover it up.

And, also, the NHL should simply … expect all of its people in positions of power to do the right thing. This is not that hard.

Of course, Cheveldayoff tripped all over himself in a statement:

The words “I’m sorry” do not appear here. The words, “I was wrong” do not appear here. The words “I made a mistake and will regret it forever” do not appear here.

What’s here, though, is an attempt to deflect from his own role in causing Kyle Beach’s pain by calling Beach “incredibly brave.”

That reaction is more than a decade too late, Kev. Why weren’t you courageous enough to believe him then, and have you done anything, at all, to change the way you see things now?

Nobody has handled this well. My colleague Charles Curtis pointed out how ludicrous Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews sounded when he expressed sorrow for Bowman rather than focusing on Beach and a broader hockey culture that failed him. And Andy Nesbitt showed how mumbly and spineless Gary Bettman has been.

Quenneville at least said he wants to learn and improve, but only after distancing himself from Beach by referring to him as “this young man.”

Beach is 31 now. In 2010 he was a rising prospect. He’d been the 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft and had just scored 86 points playing a rugged style (186 penalty minutes) in his final season of junior hockey. Quenneville may not have known him well, but Beach most certainly was not just some “young man.”

Much of the blame for how the Blackhawks failed here has amorphously been assigned to “hockey culture.” It’s important for those within the sport, though, to explore what actually happened. Blanket condemnations may ring true, but they provide little path toward reconciliation.

There were specific problems here that need to be explored. Toews had been named captain, a position with real power in the NHL, before he could legally drink alcohol. Perhaps it’s not the best idea to have someone so young serve as the representative of the players to the coaching staff.

A more mature player might have set a different tone in the locker room, too:

Is this the reason people in Chicago didn’t take Beach seriously? Did they fail to believe a 6-foot-3, 200-pound power forward could be sexually assaulted by a video coach? Was there no understanding of power dynamics? Or just a callous disregard for any issue that didn’t directly effect the chase for a Stanley Cup?

Bruins winger Taylor Hall was one of several players who delivered a better message in the wake of this story shaking the NHL:

That gives you hope, right? That a player can see it this way. But how do we not also despair, knowing that one of the old boys just skated away, clear and free? He’s still there making decisions that impact the lives of every person in an entire organization, and when it comes time for him to fess up, to say he’s sorry, to admit to what he did wrong and say how he’s going to change, he instead just offers up “empathy” to the man whose life he helped ruin.

How are we supposed to deal with that?

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John Tortorella slams the Blackhawks for ignoring sexual assault

“I just don’t get why one guy couldn’t just stand up and say, ‘You know what? No. This is wrong.'”

We’ve seen examples of people inside the NHL who don’t get it in their reactions to the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal, a reminder that hockey culture is still very much a problem that needs to be addressed.

But former Rangers, Lightning, Canucks and Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella — known for letting expletives fly and for his fiery press conferences — said exactly what so many have after a report revealed members of the coaching staff and front office failed to report sexual assault allegations involving video coach Brad Aldrich and two players on the team.

“This wasn’t a one-man decision,” he said. “It’s multiple people. I just don’t get why one guy couldn’t just stand up and say, ‘You know what? No. This is wrong.'”

“This is sexual assault, which casts a shadow over the game of hockey,” he added. “That’s what’s crazy to me, that one man couldn’t stand up and say, ‘You know what? No way. We have to get this straightened out right now.”

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Jonathan Toews calling former Blackhawks execs ‘good people’ after sexual assault scandal shows us how far we have to go

There’s so much work to do.

Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.

Jonathan Toews had a chance to show the Chicago Blackhawks, the NHL and the world that he had learned an obvious and urgent lesson from the horrifying events and subsequent fallout of the franchise’s sexual assault scandal: That hockey’s toxic, team-above-all culture continues to traumatize individual players and create an environment that gives too much power to coaches and managers who would gladly ignore and cover up abuse in the name of winning games.

When speaking with reporters on Wednesday night, the longtime captain failed.

Hours after former Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach bravely came forward as the “John Doe 1” mentioned in the report as a survivor of sexual assault from former video coach Brad Aldrich, Toews spoke about former general manager Stan Bowman and senior VP Al MacIsaac stepping down from the franchise and said this, via USA TODAY Sports:

“Make any argument you want, they’re not directly complicit in the activities that happened,” Toews said. “It’s not up to me to comment on whether they would like to deal with it differently or not. I just know them as people and I’ve had a relationship and friendship with them for a long time as being part of the Blackhawks family.

“How this situation went down, what the timeline was, what they knew, I can’t really comment on that. It’s obviously a tough day. Regardless of the mistakes that may have been made, for someone like Stan who has done so much for the Blackhawks, and Al as well, to lose everything they care about and their livelihoods as well, I don’t understand how that makes it go away – just delete them from existence and that’s it, we’ll never hear from them. So I have a lot of respect for them as people. They’re good people.”

The words that sting the most are that last set of sentences. Toews somehow equated Bowman building teams that won multiple Stanley Cups and whatever relationship he had with Bowman and MacIsaac behind the scenes with them being “good people.”

But “good people” don’t — as the report released earlier this week details — hear about the sexual assault allegations and then fail to properly report them to the authorities (along with others in positions of authority) while the team makes a run to a title.

Why did they have to step down from there jobs, asked Toews? Because why would you trust Bowman, MacInnis and others (including then-head coach Joel Quennville, who was somehow allowed to coach the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night before he met with commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday) to be in charge of anything when they heard the allegations and didn’t act?

You could see how hockey culture informs Toews’ quote, and while I think he’s far from absolved from what he said, it’s worth stopping for a moment and thinking about how a young captain (he was 21 during the season in question) would not feel empowered to do more about the situation. Hockey culture dictates a team-first mentality wherein all focus is placed on sacrificing for the good of the whole so that games can be won on the ice.

Toews has personified that sort of “leadership” for much of his career, but his comments make it clear that maturity has not brought him enough wisdom. He should know enough by now to say that the culture was rotten, and to realize that the way to fix it is, in fact, to remove those who allowed it to fester.

He should also realize that the only way the game can move forward is to center the actual victim here.

As disheartening as that is, look at how his teammate Alex DeBrincat responded:

That’s it right there. That’s the right message. And it’s one from a player who was around 12 years old at the time of this incident, far away from an NHL career. And the hope is that there are more and more DeBrincats in the league and fewer like Toews.

Maybe it’s a sign of a generation that won’t stand for this, that would blow the whistle when hearing about a sexual assault and stand up to the authority they’ve been so conditioned to follow.

But it’s more likely that quotes like Toews’s are a sign that we have so far to go to solve the issues plaguing the sport.

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Hockey fans rallied around Kyle Beach after he came forward as ‘John Doe’ in Blackhawks sexual assault case

Kyle Beach is a true hero.

Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.

Kyle Beach, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, has come forward as John Doe 1 in the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault case.

In a harrowing interview with Rick Westhead of TSN on Wednesday, Beach officially stepped forward as the first survivor of Brad Aldrich, former video coach of the Blackhawks during the team’s 2010 Stanley Cup run. Beach said Aldrich sexually assaulted him in May 2010 and then was threatened into keeping quiet about it for fear of retribution.

On Tuesday, law firm Jenner & Block released a 107-page report after completing an independent investigation into the two lawsuits lobbied at Chicago earlier this spring. After the findings were made public, general manager Stan Bowman — who was the team’s GM in 2010 — stepped away from the organization.

You can watch Beach’s 25-minute interview with Westhead below. Trigger warnings on the video for discussions of sexual assault.

There is still likely fallout to come from the investigation’s findings, with Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville both set to meet with commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss their roles on the 2010 Blackhawks team.

On Wednesday, shortly after Beach’s interview went public, the Blackhawks released a statement of their own.

There has been no word, however, on what the “changes and improvements” are within the Chicago organization.

After Beach came forward on TSN with an incredibly brave interview, the hockey world rallied around the player for his courage and conviction in speaking his truth publicly.

Blackhawks sexual assault scandal yet another grim reminder of hockey’s culture problem

Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal: A timeline with everything you need to know

A complete timeline of every major piece of news in the Blackhawks scandal.

Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.

Back in May 2021, Brad Aldrich, former video coach of the Chicago Blackhawks during the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2010, was accused of sexual assault by two unnamed players on the team. In the months since the original report, which sparked a major investigation, there have been a lot moving pieces around this story as it continues to unfold.

In late October, however, the case got kicked wide open with the release of a 107-page report from law firm Jenner & Block after an independent investigation sanctioned by Chicago. There’s a lot of information to sift through, especially in the wake of the recent findings, but here is everything you need to know about the Blackhawks sexual assault scandal and the fallout from it all.

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Blackhawks sexual assault scandal yet another grim reminder of hockey’s culture problem

Hockey’s toxic culture is on display once again.

Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault. Please proceed with caution.

Nothing about the revelations made public from the Chicago Blackhawks organization on Tuesday should be a shock for anyone who follows the NHL. Disgusting? Yes. Horrifying? Absolutely. Shameful and pathetic? One hundred percent. Shocking? No, not if you’ve been paying any attention to hockey for any length of time.

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks shared the findings of law firm Jenner & Block’s independent investigation into sexual assault allegations made against former video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2010. Two lawsuits were filed against Aldrich which alleged that he sexually assaulted a former player in May 2010, received a positive reference letter from the organization upon his departure, then went on to sexually assault a high school player in 2013.

Due to the report, Chicago general manager Stan Bowman has stepped aside from his role, and has vacated his position as the GM of the 2022 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. Other organizational members remaining from 2010 — including Al MacIsaac, senior vice president of hockey operations — have left the team as well. The NHL is also fining the Blackhawks organization $2 million “for the organization’s inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response” on the matter.

This has been, without a doubt, the biggest scandal the NHL has seen in its modern history. And we’ve seen many in recent years, from Mike Babcock’s alleged verbal abuse against former players to Bill Peters allegedly using racial slurs against Akim Aliu. Hockey culture has always been rotten to the core, and this incident is yet another reminder that this suffering and hate is what our favorite sport has been built upon.

And it sucks! It really, truly does. Not just from a hockey fan perspective, but, first and foremost, for the countless victims of hockey culture who have had their lives irrevocably changed by the toxic cesspool that encompasses every part of this sport. The institution of hockey has failed these people and continues to do so with every passing day.

This is a sport — a game!! —  after all. We watch people put knives on their feet and skate around on a slippery surface for our enjoyment. I, like many of you reading this, love hockey! But, it does not love us back — and never has.

Far smarter people than I have written and talked about what we as hockey fans and those of us in the media can do to supplant this culture of toxicity. Holding the people responsible accountable, speaking out against injustices, and lobbying for more oversight of those in charge is just the beginning for how we can start to bring about change.

And this Blackhawks scandal isn’t over by a long shot either. Specifically due to the investigation naming former Chicago head coach — and current Florida Panthers head coach — Joel Quenneville and former assistant general manager — and current Winnipeg Jets general manager — Kevin Cheveldayoff as two people in the know of the incident.

Earlier in the summer, both Quenneville and Cheveldayoff stated in public record that they had no knowledge of the allegations against Aldrich. The report released on Tuesday, however, names them both as being present in a meeting discussing the allegations within the hour of the Blackhawks advancing to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has stated that he will meet with both Quenneville and Cheveldayoff in due time to discuss their roles in the events, but both should be fired from their respective teams. The Blackhawks entire front office knew of the allegations against Aldrich, but said nothing as to not disrupt team chemistry ahead of the team’s first Stanley Cup win in 49 years.

This entire scandal is shameful and embarrassing from every angle. Staying silent to protect team chemistry while a young player was suffering is inexcusable and a horrific neglect of a duty of care.

There is no punishment severe enough for the Blackhawks organization to make up for the trauma these victims have faced. Though the Blackhawks have cleaned house and the NHL has fined the team — $1 million fewer than the league fined the New Jersey Devils for circumvention when signing Ilya Kovalchuk, by the way — nothing will be able to repair what has been lost.

It’s hard to say any justice was done here in a 12-year-old case where the punishments and consequences only came after the Stanley Cup celebrations have ended and the confetti has all but dissipated on the Blackhawks’ dynasty. And that, unfortunately, is hockey culture at its finest.

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Bush Push not worth remembering for Notre Dame fans

Why remember this painful memory?

The battle between Notre Dame and top-ranked USC on Oct. 15, 2005, objectively is remembered as an all-time great college football game. The Irish came agonizingly close to one of the best wins in program history but for Reggie Bush giving Matt Leinart enough of a nudge to score the winning touchdown with only a few seconds remaining.

If the Irish’s defense had been able to hold up just a little bit longer, we could have been talking gigantic shifts in the trajectory of the program and in college football. It is for this reason that, unlike our editor, I cannot bring myself to fondly recall this game.

Thinking about what could have been if one of my teams had just one or two more things go their way is one of the most painful things for me to do as a sports fan. On this night in South Bend, it looked like the Irish had done just enough to pull off the seemingly impossible. At least that’s how it appeared for a moment or two. Instead, Irish fans and Trojans haters were left with empty promises.

This game is one of the biggest what-ifs I’ve experienced for a team I have a rooting interest in. It’s up there with moments like Derrick Rose tearing his ACL, the Bears losing to the Packers in the 2013 season finale, and Alec Martinez scoring in overtime to eliminate the Blackhawks in 2014. I’ll even throw in the numerous near-misses the White Sox had at winning the division in the 2000s and early 2010s.

I’m not taking away anything that this game provided. I’m probably just coming across as a bitter sore loser, but this is a Notre Dame site, and I’m not going to apologize for it. I just so happen to be one of those fans that prefers to remember the good times my teams provide and forget the bad ones. If you’re one of those fans, I advise you to do the same.

Former Notre Dame players on NHL rosters to begin 2021-22 season

Pay special attention to these players this season.

The puck has dropped on the 2021-22 NHL season, and the full 82-game schedule has returned. Besides the usual amount of hockey to look forward to once again, there also is a new team that has taken the ice. One player on that team played collegiate hockey at Notre Dame, as did nine other players who are starting the year on NHL rosters. That number could grow later this season with 15 other former Irish players starting play in the AHL, but for now, here are the 10 you can see at hockey’s top level at this moment:

The NHL bets we’re most excited to place for the 2021-22 season

BetFTW’s favorite NHL bets as the 2021-22 season begins

The NHL regular season is back and so are some of our favorite bets.

Four months after the Tampa Bay Lightning repeated as Stanley Cup champions—earning a solid payday for anyone who took their 2020 preseason odds at +750—the campaign for a three-peat begins Tuesday with Pittsburgh Penguins in Tampa at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Seattle Kraken will play their first regulation game in team history when they visit a Vegas Golden Knights club that’s no longer the newest franchise in the league at 10:15 p.m.

Before the puck drops, the BetFTW crew shares the wagers they’re most looking forward to this year.