Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz Asked for Brad Aldrich to Be Removed from Stanley Cup

Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz wrote a letter to Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny MacDonald asking him to remove the name of former Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich from the team's 2010 Stanley Cup championship.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported the news Friday in the wake of the release of a report into the Blackhawks' handling of sexual assault allegations made by former player Kyle Beach against Aldrich in 2010.

The Hall of Fame issued a statement saying the request is "appropriate" and that there will be "further dialogue."  

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks announced the results of an independent investigation by the Jenner & Block law firm into the organization's handling of the allegations brought against Aldrich during the team's 2010 playoff run.

"It is clear the organization and its executives at that time did not live up to our own standards or values in handling these disturbing incidents. We deeply regret the harm caused to John Doe and the other individuals who were affected and the failure to promptly respond. As an organization, we extend our profound apologies to the individuals who suffered from these experiences. We must—and will—do better."

Beach revealed himself as John Doe in an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead on Wednesday.

The former Blackhawks prospect told TSN (h/t Kaplan) he reported Aldrich's actions to James Gary, the team's mental skills coach at the time, and the lack of response after the allegations reached key members of the franchise had a deep impact on him:

"I reported this and I was made aware that it made it all the way up the chain of command by Doc Gary, and nothing happened. It was like his life was the same as the day before. Same every day. And then when they won, to see him paraded around lifting the Cup, at the parade, at the team pictures, at celebrations, it made me feel like nothing."

"It made me feel like I didn't exist. It made me feel like, that I wasn't important and ... it made me feel like he was in the right and I was wrong. And that's also what Doc Gary told me, that it was my fault because I put myself in that situation. And the combination of these and him being paraded around, then letting him take the Stanley Cup to a high school with kids after they knew what had happened."

The Jenner & Block review determined there was a meeting between several high-ranking members of the organization to discuss the situation amid the postseason, but no action was taken as the team went on to win the 2010 Stanley Cup.

Aldrich was let go during the subsequent offseason without police being notified of the allegations. In 2014, he was sentenced to nine months in jail for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct after sexually assaulting a student while working as a volunteer hockey coach at a Michigan high school.

Court documents filed as part of two lawsuits brought against the Blackhawks allege the team gave Aldrich the "most positive reference available" for future jobs after he was let go.

Chicago president of hockey operations Stan Bowman and senior director of hockey administration Al MacIsaac exited the organization after the report went public. There are no executives from the 2010 team still in the team's front office following their departures.

On Thursday, Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville, the Hawks' coach in 2010, resigned from his position after a meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Potentially removing Aldrich's name from the Cup is one of the issues unresolved in the days since the report was released.