Commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday defended the NHL’s decisions and discipline meted out following an investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks’ handling of sexual assault allegations in 2010.
Bettman called the organization’s $2 million fine significant and stood by decisions to let Joel Quenneville coach one more game and not discipline Winnipeg General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff based on his limited role in Chicago’s front office at the time. Quenneville resigned as Florida Panthers coach after meeting with Bettman last week.
In his first public comments since the report detailing the Blackhawks investigation was released, Bettman said he did not want anyone to think he was prejudging Quenneville, who was Chicago’s coach when allegations surfaced that video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted prospect Kyle Beach 11 years ago.
“While it may have optically not been the best look, I was more concerned with the substance than the look,” Bettman said.
Asked if Quenneville was given any kind of ultimatum, Bettman said, “Joel ultimately included that the most sensible course of action was for him to resign.”
Cheveldayoff is the only person in Blackhawks management at the time who still works for an NHL club. Cheveldayoff was present at a meeting about Beach’s allegations in May 2010, but the report by former federal prosecutor Reid Schar indicated the former assistant GM was the only one who recalled he was even there.
“Kevin was such a minor player in this,” Bettman said. “He had been with the Blackhawks for nine months. He was an assistant general manager with fairly limited responsibilities. This was not something that he not only had no responsibility for – that based on what was available to him in his minor, relatively, position at the time, he had no reason to believe that anything other than the right things were going on.”
Cheveldayoff was scheduled to address reporters Monday, though that was pushed back by the Jets because owner Mark Chipman suffered a bout of vertigo over the weekend and insisted on being there for the news conference.
The executive board of the NHL Players’ Association also met Monday to discuss how the union apparently ignored Beach’s situation when it was brought to officials’ attention a decade ago. Executive director Don Fehr recommended outside counsel launch a review into what happened – something the executive board was expected to approve by vote. The voting could not be completed during the meeting because several members had to prepare to play Monday night.
Players in recent days expressed concern over the NHLPA’s handling of Beach’s allegations, even though he wasn’t technically a member because he never played in an NHL game. Schar’s investigation found that a confidant of Beach’s reached out to the NHLPA, with nothing coming of it.
“I know I reported every single detail to an individual at the NHLPA, who I was put in contact with after,” Beach said during his interview on TSN in Canada last week, his first since identifying himself as John Doe. “I believe two different people talked to Don Fehr. And for him to turn his back on the players when his one job is to protect the players at all costs, I don’t know how that can be your leader. I don’t know how he can be in charge.”
Fehr signed on as an NHLPA adviser in the summer of 2010 after Aldrich resigned rather than face a Blackhawks investigation. Fehr was named NHLPA executive director in December of that year.
In a statement last week, Fehr said the person Beach spoke with was a program doctor at the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, which while confidential should have resulted in further action because of its severity.
“The fact that it did not was a serious failure,” Fehr said. “There is no doubt that the system failed to support him in his time of need, and we are part of that system.”
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Monday the NHL first got a heads up about a potential lawsuit in December, though it was downplayed by Blackhawks counsel.
“(Blackhawks lawyers) claimed to have looked into it,” he said. “They said there was no merit.”
The first time the league learned of the specific allegations was May when the first suit was filed, according to Daly.
RANGERS: Adam Fox agreed to terms on a seven-year extension with the New York Rangers, a deal that keeps the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman under contract through 2029.
Fox became one of the youngest players to win the award last season after putting up 47 points in 55 games. He joined Hall of Famer Bobby Orr as the only players to win the Norris in one of his first two NHL seasons.
The 23-year-old already has nine points in New York’s first nine games this season. Fox has 98 points in 134 regular-season games since making his debut with the Rangers in 2019.
The contract is reportedly worth $66.5 million with an annual salary cap hit of $9.5 million. That’s the same cap hit as Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who signed for $76 million over eight years.
SHARKS: The San Jose Sharks removed one of their seven players from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol but added another as they returned to practice.
Forward Andrew Cogliano was taken off the list after missing Saturday’s game against Winnipeg and forward Kevin LaBanc went on it.
The other six players who were placed on the list Saturday remain there, along with Coach Bob Boughner. Those players are forwards Jonathan Dahlen and Matt Nieto; and defensemen Erik Karlsson, Jake Middleton, Radim Simek and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
Captain Logan Couture also returned to practice after missing Saturday’s game with an illness. He has tested negative for COVID-19.
Sharks assistant coach John MacLean assumed head coaching duties when Boughner was sidelined Saturday and development coach Mike Ricci also joined the bench.
CANADIENS: The NHL suspended Montreal forward Cedric Paquette for two games without pay for boarding Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras.
The incident occurred in the first period of the Ducks’ 4-2 win over Montreal on Sunday in Anaheim. Paquette was given a major penalty and game misconduct for boarding.
He will forfeit $9,500 in salary. Paquette will be eligible to return when Montreal hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
PENGUINS: Defensemen Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel entered the COVID-19 protocol after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Coach Mike Sullivan confirmed the positive tests, and said Sullivan said Pettersson is symptomatic and Ruhwedel is so far asymptomatic.
MONDAY’S GAMES
LIGHTNING 3, CAPITALS 2: Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and Tampa Bay ended visiting Washington’s eight-game season-opening point streak.
Tampa Bay also got goals from Alex Killorn and Brayden Point. Taylor Raddysh picked up his first NHL point, coming in his eighth game, by assisting on Point’s goal
Brett Leason got his first NHL goal and Conor Sheary also scored for the the Capitals, who came in 5-0-3. Vitek Vanecek stopped 23 shots.
Washington star Alex Ovechkin had his season-opening eight-game point streak (nine goals, six assists) end. He remains two goals away from tying Brett Hull (741) for fourth place all time.
BLACKHAWKS 5, SENATORS 1: Patrick Kane had three goals and an assist in his return to the lineup, and host Chicago got its first win.
Led by Kane and Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 29 saves in another solid performance, Chicago improved to 1-7-2 in front of a half-full United Center. Brandon Hagel scored twice, and captain Jonathan Toews had three assists.
Kane was sidelined for the previous four games because of the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
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