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Chicago Blackhawks executives are being accused of ignoring sexual assault allegations against a former Blackhawks coach from two former players, according to a report from TSN’s Rick Westhead. The accusations come from a lawsuit that an unnamed former Chicago player filed last month in an Illinois court, with further details coming from the TSN report.
The players informed then-skills coach Paul Vincent about their allegations against video coach Brad Aldrich, who is named in the lawsuit. Vincent then informed then-Blackhawks president John McDonough, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, general manager Stan Bowman and team sports psychologist James Gary, and implored them to contact the police. The request was reportedly denied.
In addition to being sexually assaulted on separate occasions, the player, referred to as “John Doe” in court documents, accuses Aldrich of sending “inappropriate text messages,” and threatening him “physically, financially and emotionally” if he “did not engage in sexual activity.”
The Blackhawks declined comment to TSN about the story because of the case is ongoing, and the organization’s lawyer said that the case should be dismissed because of statute of limitations laws.
Aldrich remained on the Blackhawks through the 2010 season, and was even able to get a photo with the Stanley Cup. Afterwards, he eventually made his way to a Michigan high school’s hockey team. He was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in Oct. 2013 in a case involving a 17-year-old player, and is a registered sex offender in the state after nine months in prison, and five years probation.
Court records show that the unnamed ex-Blackhawks player accuses the organization of serving as a reference for Aldrich during his future employment search, which led to him getting the job at that high school.