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Kyle Beach Identifies Himself as John Doe in Blackhawks Sexual Assault Lawsuit
October 27, 2021
Kyle Beach revealed he was the John Doe who said former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assault him.
The 31-year-old spoke with TSN's Rick Westhead in a lengthy interview Wednesday:
Rick Gregg @rickgreggKyle Beach, to TSN, while fighting back tears:<br><br>"I was scared, mostly. I was fearful. I had had my career threatened. I felt alone, and dark...<br><br>"I felt like I was alone, and there was nothing I could do, and nobody I could turn to for help, and I didn't know what to do."
Beach said his mother "cried for days" after he first told her of the assault.
"She felt responsible. She felt like she should have protected me and there was nothing she could do," he said. "And after that first conversation with them, we never spoke about it again until very recently. I never brought it up and they respected my privacy."
Beach also said to Westhead how he "suppressed this memory and buried this memory to chase my dreams and pursue the career that I loved."
Westhead first reported in June that skills coach Paul Vincent approached high-ranking officials within the organization in May 2010 to say that two players had told him that a video coach had sexually assaulted them.
Vincent suggested the team forward the allegations to Chicago police, but the officials refused to follow through on the suggestion.
Beach spoke highly of Vincent and told Westhead he "tried to do everything he could back then."
"It's men like him that make hockey great," Beach said.
Aldrich remained with the Blackhawks through the 2009-10 season and partook in the team's on-ice ceremony after winning a Stanley Cup.
"The only way I can describe it is that I felt sick," Beach said of Aldrich continuing to work within the organization. "I felt sick to my stomach. I reported this and I was made aware that it made it all the way up the chain of command ... and nothing happened. It was like his life was the same as it was the day before."
Beach said witnessing the Cup celebrations in particular "made me feel like nothing."
Joel Quenneville was in his second season as Chicago's head coach when Beach made the allegations. The 63-year-old, who's now coaching the Florida Panthers, said in July he was first alerted to the situation through the various media reports.
Beach questioned that timeline, recalling seeing meetings in Quenneville's office after he spoke to mental skills coach James Gary about what Aldrich allegedly did.
The NHL announced Tuesday it fined the Blackhawks $2 million following the completion of an investigation by the law firm of Jenner & Block. The organization also released a statement saying team officials "did not live up to our own standards or values in handling these disturbing incidents."
After the interview, the Blackhawks released another statement:
In addition to the fine, general manager Stan Bowman and senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac resigned from their posts.
Watching the NHL's investigation draw to a conclusion brought Beach some level of solace.
"I'm just so relieved with the news that came out yesterday, that I've been vindicated, and I can truly begin the healing process," he said to Westhead.