There are plenty of folks who are adamant about whether or not Stan Bowman should become the Edmonton Oilers’ new general manager. However, I haven’t come across many people who are knowledgeable with the incident involving victim Kyle Beach, former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich, and the administration of the Chicago Blackhawks.Social media is rife with harsh criticism and strong opinions, but it lacks impartial and truthful evaluations. Since it became known in early July that Bowman might be a candidate for the general manager position with the Edmonton Oilers, I have been gradually involved in a thorough evaluation of my own. I have a feeling that others are considering this as well.
The best account I’ve found on what happened in an independent report done by the law firm of Jenner & Block. It was commissioned by the Blackhawks after Beach sued that organization in 2021.
The Jenner & Block team was led by former federal prosecutor Reid Schar. The complete 107 page report is a harrowing and painful read, with a thorough description of Aldrich’s modus operandi.
I suspect most of you don’t have the time or the stomach to take in the whole report, so I’ve prepared a summary, drawing heavily on the executive summary and conclusions of the Jenner & Block report.
In the report, Beach is referred to as John Doe. In this report, I’ll substitute his real name (Kyle Beach) for John Doe for easier reading comprehension.
The Blackhawks hired Jenner & Block in June 2021. Jenner & Block investigators interviewed 139 witnesses, including current and former Blackhawks’ personnel, from entry-level paid interns to the most senior executives and coaching staff. “Several witnesses were interviewed more than once. We interviewed 21 current and former Blackhawks players and Rockford IceHogs players. We interviewed (Kyle Beach), Brad Aldrich, and individual players and personnel who were directly involved in the events described below.”
