The NHL announced on Monday that former leaders Stan Bowman and Al Macisaac and head coach Joel Quenneville are eligible for looking for a job in the league more than two years after their resignation following the Chicago Blackhawks sexual scandal.
The three resigned from their work in 2021 after a determined investigation that they did not respond appropriately to allegations sexual assault within the Blackhawks organization in 2010.
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The former hopeful of the Blackhawks, Kyle Beach, said in a trial in 2021 that the team's video coach Brad Aldrich had sexually assaulted him during the 2010 season. Beach posted the trial anonymously, but has since spoken publicly about his experience.
“The National Hockey League announced today that, with immediate effect, Stan Bowman, Al McISaac and Joel Quenville are eligible for looking for a job in the NHL”, ” The declaration is read. “For more than the last two and a half years, these people have not been eligible to work for an NHL team because of their inadequate response after being informed in 2010 allegations that the Blackhawks player Kyle Beach was attacked by the club's video coach.”
Probe: Brass Blackhawks was sitting on allegations in the Stanley Cup race
The investigation determined that Bowman, Macisaac, Quenneville, former president of the team John McDonough and the leaders Jay Blunk and Kevin Cheveldayoff met to discuss the allegations after Beach reported them to the human resources of Blackhawks, but that no measure was taken for three weeks later.
The Blackhawks were in the middle of a race to the Stanley Cup championship at the time of the report. According to the investigation, Macisaac said This McDonough “did not want any negative advertisement during the Stanley Cup final”.
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The NHL has inflicted a fine of $ 2 million on the Blackhawks for “inadequate internal procedures” at the end of the survey. Bowman and Macisaac were still with the Blackhawks and resigned from their positions When the survey results were published in October 2021.
Quenneville was the Florida Panthers head coach at the time. He resigned of his position a few days later. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman published a statement In response to Quenneville's resignation, declaring that Quenneville would be required to meet him to consider a future job in the League.
“Given the result, there is no need for another NHL action concerning Mr. Quenneville for the moment,” said Bettman's declaration in 2021. “However, if he wanted to reintegrate the League to some extent in the future, I will need a meeting with him in advance in order to determine the appropriate conditions in which such a new job could take place.”
In his statement on Monday, the League announced that he was convinced that Bowman, Macisaac and Quenneville satisfied the standards to justify the job in the League again.
“If it is clear that at the time, their answers were unacceptable, each of these three individuals recognized that and used their time away from the game to initiate activities which, not only of sincere remorse, for what happened, but also proof of consciousness of the responsibilities than all the members of the NHL staff have, in particular the staff who are able to lead,” said the press release.
“In addition, everyone has made significant progress in personal improvement by participating in a myriad of programs, many of which have focused on the imperative to respond effectively and significantly to combat acts of alleged abuse.”
The three will be eligible to return to employment in the league from July 10.
