NHL’s Blackhawks settle sexual assault lawsuit with former player

The Chicago Blackhawks have reached a settlement with a former player who alleged that former assistant coach Brad Aldrich sexually abused him. 

The confidential settlement was announced after former first-round pick Kyle Beach and Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz met via Zoom with a mediator on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. 

A joint statement provided to The Hill from Susan Loggans, who is Beach’s attorney, and Wirtz, as well as his father Rocky Wirtz who owns the team, said all “parties are pleased to announce” the settlement. 

“The Blackhawks hope that this resolution will bring some measure of peace and closure for Mr. Beach,” the statement added. “As for the Blackhawks organization, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that, going forward, this team will be a beacon for professionalism, respect and integrity in our community. We remain grateful for the trust and support of the Blackhawks community, and we promise to continue working every day to earn and maintain that trust.”

While the Blackhawks said in mid-May that Beach’s claims were without merit, an independent review in October found that the team handled his allegations poorly. That investigation also found that neither Danny Wirtz or his father, team owner Rocky Wirtz, knew of the allegations prior to Beach’s lawsuit, the AP reported.

Aldrich claimed that the encounter with Beach in 2010 was consensual, but Beach said the coach threatened him with a souvenir baseball bat before sexually abusing him. At the time, Aldrich was 27, and Beach was a 20-year-old minor leaguer on standby should the team needed him in the playoffs, the wire service added.

A separate investigation also concluded that Aldrich sexually assaulted two men during his time at Miami (Ohio) University in 2012, after leaving the Blackhawks.

Updated at 4:19 p.m.