Former Spokane Chiefs standout Kyle Beach admits he’s ‘John Doe’ in lawsuit against NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks
Former Spokane Chiefs standout Kyle Beach admitted Wednesday he was the player involved in the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual assault scandal.
Beach, a former first-round draft pick who scored a team-high 52 goals for the Chiefs in 2009-10, said in a televised interview on Canada’s The Sports Network that he was “John Doe” in a lawsuit filed in May against the Blackhawks for mishandling his sexual assault allegations 11 years ago.
The results of an investigation by the Chicago law firm of Jenner & Block released Tuesday found the allegations Beach made May 23, 2010, against then-video coach Brad Aldrich were largely ignored by the team for three weeks as it was preparing for the Stanley Cup Final.
Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations Stan Bowman resigned Tuesday. Senior director of hockey operations Al MacIsaac also was ousted and the team was fined $2 million by the NHL.
Beach told TSN that based on what others involved have said he believes that then-coach Joel Quenneville thought “trying to win a Stanley Cup was more important than sexual assault.”
Quenneville, who now coaches the Florida Panthers, is scheduled to meet Thursday in New York with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman regarding Quenneville’s role in what happened. Beach said meetings regarding the sexual assault took place in Quenneville’s office.
Beach, 31, who never appeared in an NHL game but still plays professionally in Germany, said he felt “relief and vindication” by the release of the investigation.
“It was no longer my word against everybody else’s,” Beach told TSN. “And it was very special and important to me to have that truth come out.”
Beach was one of several minor leaguers called up to the Blackhawks during their 2010 playoff run to be used as extras for practices.
It was during that time that Beach alleged Aldrich threatened him with a souvenir baseball bat before forcibly performing sexual acts on him.
Despite being made aware of the allegations, the Blackhawks allowed Aldrich to continue his role with the team through the playoffs and even got a day with the Stanley Cup.
“It was like his life was the same as the day before. Same every day,” Beach said. “And then when they won, to see him paraded around lifting the Cup, at the parade, at the team pictures, at celebrations, it made me feel like nothing.”
Beach told TSN the reason he finally came forward was part of the healing process. He said he abused alcohol and drugs to help him cope.
“I buried this for 10, 11 years and it’s destroyed me from the inside out,” Beach said. “I want everybody to know in the sports world and in the world that you’re not alone. That if these things happen to you, you need to speak up.”