Bettman apologizes to Kyle Beach, defends NHL in wake of sexual assault allegations
CBC
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman publicly apologized to Kyle Beach for what the former Chicago prospect has been through after the player said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach in 2010.
Speaking to reporters on a video conference call Monday, Bettman said the league "could not be more sorry for the trauma that Kyle has had to endure … our goal is to do what is necessary to continue to move forward."
An independent third-party report released last week stated the allegations were largely ignored by the team.
Speaking with reporters during a virtual news conference Monday, Bettman also defended the decision to allow Florida Panthers bench boss Joel Quenneville, who coached with Chicago from 2008 to 2018, to be behind the bench for his team's game last Wednesday after the report was released.
Quenneville met with Bettman on Thursday before resigning.
Bettman said he did not want anyone to think he was prejudging Quenneville, who was the club's coach when allegations surfaced that video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted Beach 11 years ago.
WATCH | Beach says he hopes his story will spark change:
Asked if Quenneville was given any kind of ultimatum, Bettman said, "Joel ultimately [saw] that the most sensible course of action was for him to resign."
The commissioner also said Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff — an assistant with Chicago during the period in question and the only person present for a May 23, 2010, meeting to discuss the allegations still employed in the NHL — was "such a minor player" in the process, "had no responsibility for" the organization's mishandling of the situation and didn't deserve any punishment.
On Friday, Bettman met with Cheveldayoff, the only person in Chicago management at the time who still works for an NHL club.
Chicago president and GM Stan Bowman resigned in the wake of the report, while the club announced Al MacIsaac, another one of its top hockey executives, was no longer with the organization.
WATCH | Chicago reporter discusses NHL decision not to discipline Jets GM:
Cheveldayoff was scheduled to address reporters Monday, though that was pushed back by the Jets because owner Mark Chipman suffered a bout of vertigo over the weekend and insisted on being there for the news conference.
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