Chicago Blackhawks hire former federal prosecutor to investigate sexual assault allegations

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CHICAGO – The Chicago Blackhawks have hired a former federal prosecutor to conduct an independent review of allegations that a former player was sexually assaulted by a then assistant coach in 2010.

CEO Danny Wirtz announced the move in an internal memo Monday morning. This was also confirmed by someone familiar with the ruling who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

“A team of experienced professionals, led by former federal prosecutor Reid Schar of the law firm Jenner & Block LLP, has been retained and is currently conducting an independent review of these allegations,” Wirtz said in the memo obtained by the ‘AP. “Mr. Schar and his cabinet have significant experience in conducting independent investigations, have no previous connection to the Blackhawk organization, and have been urged to follow the facts wherever they lead.”

The Athletic first reported on Wirtz’s score.

The investigation into one of the NHL’s most high-profile franchises comes after two lawsuits have been filed against the team. The first alleges sexual assault by former assistant coach Bradley Aldrich during the team’s 2010 Stanley Cup title race, and the second was filed by a former student that Aldrich was convicted of assault in Michigan.

RELATED: Chicago Area Youth Ice Hockey Coach Treated Sexually Abused Players, Federal Lawsuit Says

“We take the allegations described in these lawsuits very seriously,” Wirtz said in his memo. “They do not in any way reflect the culture or values ​​of this organization.”

A former player said Aldrich assaulted him and the team did nothing after letting an employee know. The lawsuit, filed May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that Aldrich also assaulted another unidentified Blackhawks player. The former player who sued and claims over $ 150,000 in damages is mentioned in the document as “John Doe”.

The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich, then a video coach for the Blackhawks, “turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of” the player without his consent. He says Aldrich also threatened to injure the player “physically, financially and emotionally” if he “did not engage in sexual activity” with him.

According to TSN, two Blackhawks players told then skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 of Aldrich’s inappropriate behavior. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with players and management.

Vincent was called to a meeting with then-team president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey manager Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied.

In an email to the AP, Vincent said he was sticking to everything he told TSN. An attorney for Aldrich told Chicago public radio station WBEZ that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the radio station, the Blackhawks said the allegations made to them were without merit.

After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual behavior involving a student and is now on that state’s sex offender registry, WBEZ reported in a series of articles based on legal documents, police records and interviews.

RELATED: Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin Says He Was Unaware of Brad Aldrich’s Allegations While With Chicago Blackhawks

The former student Aldrich was convicted of assault filed a separate complaint against the Blackhawks on May 26, claiming the Blackhawks provided positive references to Aldrich’s future employers despite allegations by at least one player and took no action to report the matter.

This costume says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at a season-ending rally.

Houghton’s police records obtained by WBEZ indicate that investigators contacted the Blackhawks about Aldrich, but his front desk would only confirm that he was once an employee.

Susan Loggans, a lawyer who represents the former player and student, said she welcomed the Blackhawks’ decision to launch an independent review.

“They have always denied it, including to me even before I filed a complaint, so I’m happy they at least went that far,” she said.

The University of Miami in Ohio has also opened an investigation. Aldrich was director of hockey operations at the school after leaving the Blackhawks, but resigned in 2012 “likely to unwantedly affect an adult male,” the university’s lawyer told police, according to WBEZ .

Copyright 2021 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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