The Chicago Blackhawks and Brad Aldrich

According to the Jenner & Block report, Blackhawks senior management (president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, executive vice president Jay Blunk and senior director of hockey administration Al MacIsaac), assistant general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Joel Quenneville met within an hour of the playoff win that sent the team to the Stanley Cup Final to discuss an allegation that video coach Brad Aldrich had made an unwelcome sexual advance on a player. No action was taken for three weeks.7 The NHL later found that Cheveldayoff was not part of senior leadership and did not discipline him.8

The Blackhawks offered Aldrich the choice of an investigation or resigning. He resigned with severance and a playoff bonus, and no investigation was conducted.7

The Blackhawks submitted Aldrich’s name, and it was engraved on the Stanley Cup.7,9

Miami University confronted Aldrich, then its director of hockey operations, about an allegation, and he resigned the same day.10

The Blackhawks’ director of human resources, contacted by police in Houghton, Michigan, recalled telling a detective that Aldrich had resigned and that she could not give more details by phone.7

The Blackhawks, sued by Kyle Beach as John Doe, said “we believe the allegations against the organization lack merit.”11

The Blackhawks made public the report of their outside investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block and apologized for “the failure to promptly respond.”12 Bowman resigned and MacIsaac left the team.13,14

The NHL fined the Blackhawks $2 million for “inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response,” with $1 million going to Chicago-area organizations that support survivors of abuse.13

NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said “the grave nature of this incident should have resulted in further action on our part. The fact that it did not was a serious failure.”15

After Commissioner Gary Bettman met with Joel Quenneville, the NHL said “all parties agreed that it was no longer appropriate” for him to continue as head coach of the Florida Panthers. Quenneville resigned the same day.16

The Blackhawks asked the Hockey Hall of Fame to consider “x-ing” out Aldrich’s name on the Stanley Cup, saying the team had made a mistake by submitting it.9

The NHL concluded that Kevin Cheveldayoff, the Winnipeg Jets’ general manager, “was not responsible for the improper decisions made by the Chicago Blackhawks,” and Commissioner Gary Bettman said he “was not a member of the Blackhawks senior leadership team in 2010.” The league did not discipline him.8

The Hockey Hall of Fame confirmed that Aldrich’s name on the Stanley Cup was covered with Xs.17

The NHLPA’s executive board commissioned an independent review of how the union handled Beach’s reports.18

The Blackhawks settled Beach’s lawsuit on confidential terms.4

The NHLPA released the review by the law firm Cozen O’Connor, which found no “individual wrongdoing or institutional failures of policy or procedure” and attributed the lack of action on Beach’s warnings to “miscommunication and misunderstanding.”19

The NHL reinstated Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville, and allowed teams to hire them from July 10, 2024.20

The Edmonton Oilers hired Bowman as general manager.21

The Anaheim Ducks hired Quenneville as head coach.22

The Blackhawks settled a 2023 lawsuit by a former player the Jenner report calls Black Ace 1. Terms were not disclosed.6