Former Blackhawks Coach Brad Aldrich's Name Crossed Off Stanley Cup
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich's name has been crossed off the Stanley Cup, following an independent investigation into claims he sexually assaulted former Blackhawks prospect Kyle Beach in 2010.
A spokeswoman for the Hockey Hall of Fame confirmed Aldrich's name was x-ed out on the trophy on Sunday, when the 2021 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning team names were being added.
Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz had requested crossing off Aldrich's name last week, after an independent investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block confirmed that, even though Beach told a skills coach Paul Vincent that Aldrich had assaulted him during the 2010 playoffs, there was never an investigation by management until Beach sued the team for negligence last year.
Blackhawks president and general manager Stan Bowman resigned in the wake of Jenner & Block's report on its investigation.
Former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville resigned as head coach of the Florida Panthers days later.
Beach was the Blackhawks' first round draft pick in 2008, and was called up as a "Black Ace" during the team's 2010 Stanley Cup championship run, as a potential fill-in for a regular team member if needed during the playoffs.
He has accused Aldrich of threatening him with a baseball bat before sexually assaulting him in May 2010, saying Beach would never play in the NHL if anyone found out.
Jenner & Block's investigation determined Bowman and other team executives failed to promptly investigate Beach's case.
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.
Aldrich's involvement with the team during the 2010 season has cast a pall on the players' extraordinary work that year. The names of some of hockey's most talented athletes appear on the Stanley Cup. But so does the name 'Brad Aldrich' whose role as video coach made him eligible for engraving. His conduct disqualified him, however, and it was a mistake to submit his name. We are sorry we allowed it to happen," Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz wrote in a letter to the Hockey Hall of Fame last week, asking for Aldrich's name to be crossed off the Stanley Cup.
