A former player for the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks revealed Wednesday he was the John Doe who sued his former team for mishandling his sexual assault allegations.
Kyle Beach, 31, revealed he was the unidentified player who was allegedly assaulted in 2010 by former video coach Brad Aldrich following an investigation into the NHL team’s handling of sexual assault allegations.
“I want everybody to know in the sports world and in the world that you’re not alone,” Beach, who called himself a “survivor,” told The Sports Network Wednesday. “That if these things happen to you, you need to speak up.”
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The Chicago Blackhawks praised Beach for his “courage in coming forward.”
“As an organization, the Chicago Blackhawks reiterate our deepest apologies to him for what he has gone through and for the organization’s failure to promptly respond when he bravely brought this matter to light in 2010,” the team said in a statement Wednesday. “It was inexcusable for the then-executives of the Blackhawks organization to delay taking action regarding the reported sexual misconduct. No playoff game or championship is more important than protecting our players and staff from predatory behavior.”
Aldrich and Beach both admitted to an encounter occurring on May 8 or 9, 2010, which Aldrich claimed was consensual but Beach deemed nonconsensual, according to the investigation’s findings. Aldrich also made sexual advances toward a 22-year-old intern with the organization after the Blackhawks were made aware of the first allegations against him, the report added.
Despite Beach’s efforts to notify senior management of the team about Aldrich’s behavior, “no action was taken by senior management of the Blackhawks to learn more, to notify Human Resources, to communicate with John Doe about the incident, to separate Aldrich from the players, or to address the information Gary received on May 23,” the lawsuit filed by the left winger earlier this month alleged.
Aldrich stayed on the team for weeks after management was allegedly notified of the claims, a decision that made Beach “sick to [his] stomach.”
The former coach was convicted in 2013 on a charge of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a Michigan high school student. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison and five years’ probation in 2014, and he is listed in the Michigan sex offender registry, according to ESPN.
Beach said he hopes his experience will lead to “systematic change,” adding, “whether it’s in hockey, soccer, any sport, any business, any company, there needs to be a system in place that it gets dealt with.”
The Blackhawks said they “have implemented numerous changes and improvements within the organization” in their Wednesday statement.
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Beach currently plays professional hockey in Germany. In recent seasons, he has played mostly in the American Hockey League and in European hockey leagues.
Representatives for the NHL did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
