Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Blackhawks player from 2010 championship team suing team for sexual assault by coach

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

8 hours ago, Fanuck said:

 

 

PhillipB, please don't take this the wrong way - it's not meant as an insult or a put-down, but you need to get informed as to how sexual abuse can occur and I'm not the person to inform you nor do I believe this is the right forum to do so - others may disagree.  I will leave you with this small piece of advice however:

 

41ZNIy8uCYL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Sheldon Kennedy and Theo fleury were sexually abused as kids/juniors.  At that age sure I get why they stayed quiet.   Fear, embarrassment, fear of reprisal.  
 

I don’t know … still hard to believe.   Players on an NHL team are a pretty tight group.  Im sure if something like that happened, that said player would tell his roommate or the rest of the team.   Players have each other’s backs.   I just can’t see an nhl player remaining silent if someone did make a move on them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/17/2021 at 9:19 PM, sassbs said:

Sheldon Kennedy and Theo fleury were sexually abused as kids/juniors.  At that age sure I get why they stayed quiet.   Fear, embarrassment, fear of reprisal.  
 

I don’t know … still hard to believe.   Players on an NHL team are a pretty tight group.  Im sure if something like that happened, that said player would tell his roommate or the rest of the team.   Players have each other’s backs.   I just can’t see an nhl player remaining silent if someone did make a move on them.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered. Players all have their place in the group, they have relationships and careers to think about. Hockey is loaded with machismo and isn't exactly known for being inclusive, progressive, or understanding. The same fear, embarrassment and fear or reprisal exist. I can 100% understand if an abused person, of any age, is wary or reluctant to come out with something like this. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think part of what makes this hard for some to understand is the fact that most of us have never been in the position of these players.

 

When I was in my late teens, I was at a couple of Junior camps and the level of desperation to make the team is indescribable. The people making the decision on whether you make it or get cut literally hold your lives in their hands. (at least, that's how it feels to a 17 year old with dreams of being an NHL player)

 

Just imagine making it that far and knowing that on any given day, it can all be taken away at a word from a Strength and Conditioning coach, or Director of Player Development.

 

You also have to bear in mind the culture that existed around the game until very recently. When I was in Junior, things like hazing rookies, racist taunts and pre-planned Enforcer scraps were the norm. Coaches looked the other way and in some cases, approved.

 

You just can't look back at the state of the game a decade ago through the lens of the year 2021. Everything has changed and I believe stories like this one and the Akim Aliu story will continue to come out.

  • Vintage 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As usual - this thread is full of premature, mindless noise.

 

Btw - if anyone bothered to read the article @Fanuck posted...

 

https://www.tsn.ca/chicago-blackhawks-alleged-sex-abuse-of-players-police-1.1656229

 

Quote

Chicago Blackhawks senior management allegedly refused to file a report to Chicago police during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs after two players claimed a video coach who worked with the franchise had sexually assaulted them, according to a person familiar with the matter.

 

Edited by oldnews
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As this web of cover-ups unfolds it just gets worse and worse for the Blackhawks organization and those who knew but did nothing: 

 

https://www.tsn.ca/alleged-assaults-of-chicago-blackhawks-players-an-open-secret-source-1.1659115

 

Sheldon Kennedy is exactly right - those who knew in the Blackhawks organization and those who aren't doing enough at the NHL level are cowards, plain and simple. 

  • Vintage 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just read the latest article on TSN.

People who still don't believe that something like this can happen are either knowingly burying their heads in sand or are just that dense.

 

"Vincent alleges that after the players approached him on May 16, 2010, in San Jose, he asked Blackhawks sports psychologist James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

The following day, Vincent says he was called into a meeting with team president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, vice-president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, and Gary. Vincent said that he asked the team to report the alleged abuse to Chicago police. That request was refused, Vincent said."

 

If true, it is a disgusting lack of response by the Blackhawks organization.

  • Vintage 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Amaneey said:

Just read the latest article on TSN.

People who still don't believe that something like this can happen are either knowingly burying their heads in sand or are just that dense.

 

"Vincent alleges that after the players approached him on May 16, 2010, in San Jose, he asked Blackhawks sports psychologist James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

The following day, Vincent says he was called into a meeting with team president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, vice-president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, and Gary. Vincent said that he asked the team to report the alleged abuse to Chicago police. That request was refused, Vincent said."

 

If true, it is a disgusting lack of response by the Blackhawks organization.

Should take away their cup win... and give it to us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/17/2021 at 9:19 PM, sassbs said:

Sheldon Kennedy and Theo fleury were sexually abused as kids/juniors.  At that age sure I get why they stayed quiet.   Fear, embarrassment, fear of reprisal.  
 

I don’t know … still hard to believe.   Players on an NHL team are a pretty tight group.  Im sure if something like that happened, that said player would tell his roommate or the rest of the team.   Players have each other’s backs.   I just can’t see an nhl player remaining silent if someone did make a move on them.

hard to believe based on your experiences being on an NHL team? Or are you just trusting your gut on this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, butters said:

hard to believe based on your experiences being on an NHL team? Or are you just trusting your gut on this?

Because I went through something like this as a kid you ignorant F!@K!!   Don’t be a smart A$$ honesty.  
 

And as a kid I was scared to say anything to anyone.   As a grown fit man, I would smash a person face if they did that to me.   So to hear nhl players can be affected by this.   Especially by balding older video coaches.  
 

I get it can happen, but to me it’s hard to believe NHL players would stand for this.   These aren’t players trying to make a pee wee team here, they are signed to a multi year - multi million dollar athletes. 

 

of course it has happened.  Just shocked that’s all. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, sassbs said:

Because I went through something like this as a kid you ignorant F!@K!!   Don’t be a smart A$$ honesty.  
 

And as a kid I was scared to say anything to anyone.   As a grown fit man, I would smash a person face if they did that to me.   So to hear nhl players can be affected by this.   Especially by balding older video coaches.  
 

I get it can happen, but to me it’s hard to believe NHL players would stand for this.   These aren’t players trying to make a pee wee team here, they are signed to a multi year - multi million dollar athletes. 

 

of course it has happened.  Just shocked that’s all. 

People are still people, multi-millionaire athletes or not. We have to dismiss notions of things being 'hard to believe'. You might smash someone who tries. Others wouldn't. In fact, some people who have been through these sorts of things react the opposite to you and freeze under those sorts of pressures. And perps have a sixth sense for those people.

Edited by butters
  • Cheers 1
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, butters said:

People are still people, multi-millionaire athletes or not. We have to dismiss notions of things being 'hard to believe'. You might smash someone who tries. Others wouldn't. In fact, some people who have been through these sorts of things react the opposite to you and freeze under those sorts of pressures. And perps have a sixth sense for those people.

Fair enough.  I see your point 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, butters said:

People are still people, multi-millionaire athletes or not. We have to dismiss notions of things being 'hard to believe'. You might smash someone who tries. Others wouldn't. In fact, some people who have been through these sorts of things react the opposite to you and freeze under those sorts of pressures. And perps have a sixth sense for those people.

Cuz they are predators.  They prey on the weak ones.  It's not like it just happened by chance.  Prodding and stalking their victim until they know they can get away with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, IBatch said:

The fact the the Blackhawks are asking to throw allegations out because of statute of limitations shows a complete level of irresponsibility.   Shame on them.   Out the guy and make him pay for his crimes. 

The same organization that buried Aliu after the Peters incident.  Simply inexcusable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://theathletic.com/2672134/2021/06/25/former-blackhawks-player-every-guy-on-the-team-knew-about-video-coachs-alleged-sexual-assault/

 

Another article out today about it. Despicable by blackhawks management to ignore Vincent's request to report it to the police.  I saw someone comment doubting the story thinking it was a money grab, but there's too many people saying it did happen for that to be the case.


 

Quote

 

“Every guy on the team knew about it,” one player on the 2010 team told The Athletic. “Every single guy on the team knew.”

 

Another player on that 2010 Chicago team, Nick Boynton, said Vincent made it clear to players during the San Jose series that he would alert upper management about the allegations. Boynton said players trusted that Vincent would handle the matter appropriately given his background — he was previously in law enforcement — and Boynton believes Vincent’s account that he told his superiors that they needed to go to police. “I trust (Vincent) over the front office,” Boynton said. “He’s a stand-up guy.”

 

But in San Jose, the players watched as Aldrich continued his duties as video coach, for the two games in San Jose, the two back in Chicago, and the six games of the Stanley Cup Final.

 

 

 

Edited by FireGillis
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yet another update on this story which doesn't look good for the Hawks franchise.

 

Either way this goes will be bad - either they continue to deny the allegations and try to evade the requests for documents regarding this claim - which is simply bad optics; or they give up the documents and we all see who was involved in this cover-up - either way it's going to be bad for them: 

 

https://www.tsn.ca/lawyer-makes-31-requests-for-documents-from-blackhawks-related-to-alleged-abuse-1.1660166

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, BPA said:

Cuz they are predators.  They prey on the weak ones.  It's not like it just happened by chance.  Prodding and stalking their victim until they know they can get away with it.

Yup, some people they just know are vulnerable by body language. Others they do things to test boundaries, but minor enough that it can be explained away. Then they escalate.

 

Although I don't know that weak is the right word. I think vulnerable is better

  • Vintage 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...