Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said Tuesday he was never made aware of sexual assault allegations by Kyle Beach against former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich while he was assistant GM of the team.
In a news conference with Jets owner Mark Chipman, Cheveldayoff acknowledged that he was in the room on May 23, 2010, with Blackhawks executives — including then-GM Stan Bowman, senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, president John McDonough and coach Joel Quenneville — after Beach approached the club about what he said were improprieties on Aldrich’s part.
But Cheveldayoff maintains he did not know immediately the depth of Beach’s allegations.
“I was asked to walk into a meeting that was ongoing,” Cheveldayoff said. “I was then asked if I had heard any allegations or if I had known of any rumors or anything like that regarding Brad Aldrich and any of the players. I replied that I had not. My involvement in that meeting after that was none.”
Cheveldayoff said he was told at the time “through some conversations” that there “were allegations of the inappropriate texts and unwanted advances [between Aldrich and Beach] and that maybe they were socializing away from the rink, which really shouldn’t be happening. So it shocked me, but that was limited to all that I knew.
“What I heard in the room, though again not acceptable, was some allegations that in my non-legal mind was along the lines of harassment … and my understanding was it was going to be investigated and dealt with. Had I known that there was any sexual assault involved, I would like to think that it would have risen to a different level.”
Beach — using the alias “John Doe” in his filing — brought two lawsuits against the Blackhawks in May over how they mishandled his allegations against Aldrich. Chicago subsequently commissioned an independent investigation by Jenner & Block LLP, results of which were made public last week.
Jenner & Block said “all the…
Source : espn
