I told my daughters something similar. You’re 100% in the right to be or wear whatever you wish. But if something happens it’s irrelevant you were right.
- paulr

Sad but so very true and the sooner you learn that the better off, and safer, you will be. As the saying goes, "you can fool with the bull but you might get the horns". ....... Your rights are beyond useless as you lie in a hospital bed.

Has anyone seen an article on Ed Olczyk wanting to run Blackhawks hockey Operations? It was an Off The Record article I can't seem to locate.

Very different I think. According to the report Q was dismissive of the event. Stan should have followed up once it was obvious nothing was being done. Yes McDonough was responsible to report and deal with the claim but others in Front Office leadership can’t just sit back and allow it to be swept under the rug.
- paulr

Your comment was telling us, correctly I think, that it is hard to judge Beach unless we walked in his shoes. My comment was that the same is true of everyone we have judged in this case. Q was hunting a Cup, so were players. Some in management were new in their careers. I think it fair to judge all by the same standard. Beach could have done some thing differently, just like everyone else in this mess. He could have called the cops. Had he, there's a decent chance the next victim isn't a victim. I know some don't like this; but if we can say others must ignore financial and career risks to stop the monster, why doesn't Beach have the same obligation? Because it is hard. It was hard for all of them it seems.

yeah, I am done talking about it...I am sure there is more to this and we will never know everything and I don't care at this point.....

Just hurts my hockey soul that this happened. Not sure what to make what they have now and curious to see how Toews and Kane play after all the heat they took in the press.....woudln't shock me if either and/or both asked for a fresh start elsewhere after taking the press head on while upper management stayed quiet....looking at you Rockwell Wirtz.

What a freaking week........
- SteveRain

Best line of the week. Right on Rain.

Has anyone seen an article on Ed Olczyk wanting to run Blackhawks hockey Operations? It was an Off The Record article I can't seem to locate.
- bjphawkfan

I think that was in Second City Hockey's blog. Not sure how credible their sources are.

Bettman favors Canadian teams! For the sake of consistency, Chevy should have been forced to resign also. I guess some in management are free to "mess up". Bad optics for the NHL!
- powerenforcer

Why would Bettman favour Canadian teams?

Yes it does, and thank you, Ricochet - I, too, was raised in the era where my mother told me that if I didn't sit with my legs closed, I was "just asking for it." It's why I didn't tell her for 10 years after my assaults at ages 11-12. Parents will always try to warn their kids to not put themselves in danger, but in so doing, that can lead to a kid blaming him/herself for something a criminal did to them.

In this scenario, I'm just asking that we on the board don't pivot en masse to trying to defend Aldrich's actions or lower his level of accountability by placing the blame at Beach's feet because of what he did or didn't do that fateful night (or before). I've seen that starting to happen in many responses.

I can promise everyone here that Beach has asked himself 1M times what he could have done differently to prevent it, has blamed himself for putting himself in that situation, told himself he shouldn't have gotten so drunk. To this day, I view the crimes that happened to me very differently because of the role I played in each.

So, just asking that we leave the victim blaming / questioning to the authorities and him and his conscience. I understand that it is natural to ask.
- pdx2ord

Regardless of whatever happened between Beach and Aldrich before the night of the assault:

"When you're engaging in sexual activity, consent is about communication. And it should happen every time for every type of activity. Consenting to one activity, one time, does not mean someone gives consent for other activities or for the same activity on other occasions."

Your comment was telling us, correctly I think, that it is hard to judge Beach unless we walked in his shoes. My comment was that the same is true of everyone we have judged in this case. Q was hunting a Cup, so were players. Some in management were new in their careers. I think it fair to judge all by the same standard. Beach could have done some thing differently, just like everyone else in this mess. He could have called the cops. Had he, there's a decent chance the next victim isn't a victim. I know some don't like this; but if we can say others must ignore financial and career risks to stop the monster, why doesn't Beach have the same obligation? Because it is hard. It was hard for all of them it seems.
- mohel

This is for a face to face discussion with a couple or seven glasses of Macallan. I did like your Atticus Finch quote though.

Were you not implying it was OK to question what Beach should have done differently to avoid putting himself in harm's way? If not, that's how it could be interpreted.

Let's just make a pact that neither of us respond to the other's posts from now forward...what I write and you interpret and what you write and I interpret will clearly always be two different things.
- pdx2ord

It is absolutely not what I was saying. You could have easily asked me if I meant what you thought I meant. But you decided instead to fire away with an accusation on something that "could be" interpreted a way that makes you mad. This is the second time you've done that, so we're in pattern territory.

And no, I am not going to agree not to respond to you.

7 games in 12 days...they either figure out as part of it how to play as a team / cohesive unit, or I fear we have a year of The Bad News Bears on Ice in front of us.

Promising signs in last few games. We'll see if they can put it together. I'm REALLY hoping so.

Best line of the week. Right on Rain.
- 6628

Thank you both...see if they can get back on track tonight vs Carolina. Freddy Anderson is playing pretty damn well for the Canes, easily their missing link that is going to be needed in Toronto and Edmonton to start...and maybe Colorado.....

Wonder if a guy like Fleury would waive to go somewhere if he can his $hit together.....

Yes it does, and thank you, Ricochet - I, too, was raised in the era where my mother told me that if I didn't sit with my legs closed, I was "just asking for it." It's why I didn't tell her for 10 years after my assaults at ages 11-12. Parents will always try to warn their kids to not put themselves in danger, but in so doing, that can lead to a kid blaming him/herself for something a criminal did to them.

In this scenario, I'm just asking that we on the board don't pivot en masse to trying to defend Aldrich's actions or lower his level of accountability by placing the blame at Beach's feet because of what he did or didn't do that fateful night (or before). I've seen that starting to happen in many responses.

I can promise everyone here that Beach has asked himself 1M times what he could have done differently to prevent it, has blamed himself for putting himself in that situation, told himself he shouldn't have gotten so drunk. To this day, I view the crimes that happened to me very differently because of the role I played in each.

So, just asking that we leave the victim blaming / questioning to the authorities and him and his conscience. I understand that it is natural to ask.
- pdx2ord

I am so so sorry you are one of way too many poor souls who have been taken advantage of and as a child it's even more incomprehensible. One thing I have not seen anywhere about Beach is him be asked if he's gotten professional help. I sincerely hope you have because I can not imagine anyone can deal with the life long consequences without it. Are you well?

And because you shared, when you did not have to, I for one learned something. How can anyone argue with the advice of "don't walk down a dark alley" but never ever thought that if indeed a person taking that advice would blame themselves if at sometime something did happen to them as you suggest.

Because I read your post when I share the "dark alley" advice from now on I will certainly add a caveat to it. ........ Thank you for sharing and I sincerely hope you are well.

Has anyone seen an article on Ed Olczyk wanting to run Blackhawks hockey Operations? It was an Off The Record article I can't seem to locate.
- bjphawkfan

Based on his coaching record, no thank you.

Plus you need a fresh start, someone who has no previous ties to the Blackhawks, in any capacity.

Bettman favors Canadian teams! For the sake of consistency, Chevy should have been forced to resign also. I guess some in management are free to "mess up". Bad optics for the NHL!
- powerenforcer

I'm coming around to your way of thinking PE.

He is doing everything he can to ensure that Canadian teams have an advantage. I think that there will be an announcement from him shortly allowing a higher salary cap by $20M for the Toronto Maple Leafs only, nobody else. Just because they have a lot of money and they are his favourite team.

And it was shocking that he accepted Chevy's excuse that he was really only a low level loser manager with a big title but with responsibility only for the drink dispensers in the dressing room and Q's office. But Bettman took out the world globe in his office, spun it around trying to find Winnipeg and decided if he fired Chevy no other human being would ever go there to be the GM.

And for those who haven't thought this before - the entire NHL - owners, players, managers etc. reports to Gary Bettman. Whatever he decides is the law.

Based on his coaching record, no thank you.
- LAHawk

I want an organizational reset....

Ideally....find the brightest guy in the game to run your hockey ops department....above the GM....a guy who has experience, etc....not an old school mentality but not a guy who's trying to completely reinvent the wheel....a combo of both ideally....

Said person hires a GM......has a commitment from ownership they will update what they need to make the best educated evaluations of players if that's analytics, more guys on the street scouting, etc.....dont' know don't care but it needs to be done.

Said GM...hires a coach who can handle pressure of a larger market, and isn't against change and a blended way of evaluating talent.

They are at rock bottom folks, and they can start to bounce back on the hockey side IF they make the right/correct hires......what none of know is IF this job with this organization is tainted right now given what has happened this week. ......

This is for a face to face discussion with a couple or seven glasses of Macallan. I did like your Atticus Finch quote though.
- paulr

That would be great!

The point I'd like to reinforce to my false accuser on the board is that I think it fair to judge Beach on his choices in the decade after the event in question. I didn't question his actions that night.

I want an organizational reset....

Ideally....find the brightest guy in the game to run your hockey ops department....above the GM....a guy who has experience, etc....not an old school mentality but not a guy who's trying to completely reinvent the wheel....a combo of both ideally....

Said person hires a GM......has a commitment from ownership they will update what they need to make the best educated evaluations of players if that's analytics, more guys on the street scouting, etc.....dont' know don't care but it needs to be done.

Said GM...hires a coach who can handle pressure of a larger market, and isn't against change and a blended way of evaluating talent.

They are at rock bottom folks, and they can start to bounce back on the hockey side IF they make the right/correct hires......what none of know is IF this job with this organization is tainted right now given what has happened this week. ......
- SteveRain

Steve Yzerman is not available

I want an organizational reset....

Ideally....find the brightest guy in the game to run your hockey ops department....above the GM....a guy who has experience, etc....not an old school mentality but not a guy who's trying to completely reinvent the wheel....a combo of both ideally....

Said person hires a GM......has a commitment from ownership they will update what they need to make the best educated evaluations of players if that's analytics, more guys on the street scouting, etc.....dont' know don't care but it needs to be done.

Said GM...hires a coach who can handle pressure of a larger market, and isn't against change and a blended way of evaluating talent.

They are at rock bottom folks, and they can start to bounce back on the hockey side IF they make the right/correct hires......what none of know is IF this job with this organization is tainted right now given what has happened this week. ......
- SteveRain

I agree, you posted before I finished my edit.

I am so so sorry you are one of way too many poor souls who have been taken advantage of and as a child it's even more incomprehensible. One thing I have not seen anywhere about Beach is him be asked if he's gotten professional help. I sincerely hope you have because I can not imagine anyone can deal with the life long consequences without it. Are you well?

And because you shared, when you did not have to, I for one learned something. How can anyone argue with the advice of "don't walk down a dark alley" but never ever thought that if indeed a person taking that advice would blame themselves if at sometime something did happen to them as you suggest.

Because I read your post when I share the "dark alley" advice from now on I will certainly add a caveat to it. ........ Thank you for sharing and I sincerely hope you are well.
- Mr Ricochet

Thank you very much.

Beach said he has gotten some help, and for that I'm glad. As you said, it's hard to try and deal with the ramifications on one's own.

I'm good, thank you. Waited too long, but finally talked to someone. I really hesitated to share here, but in light of the Hawks news and our discussions, thought the voice of someone who had been in Beach's shoes (albeit in a diff venue, school) could add a different perspective.

I'd recommend to any parent or grandparent out there to keep warning children about the dangers in this world (there are so many), but also let them know that if someone does something bad to them, they should not blame themselves and they should always tell a trusted adult as soon as possible.

New statement from Sopel

https://twitter.com/brent.../1454177944994295811?s=20

Why do I suspect he's been hearing from a few former teammates?

How about Beach's parents who knew and did nothing. Not then, not for the 4 years longer he was in the organization, not ever. If it was one of my kids who was sexually assaulted, I ain't sitting around and waiting to see what happens.
- TheTrob

What if your kids asked you not to? Begged and pleaded even and gave all the reasons why they would prefer? ( I’ll list them in case you unfamiliar)
1) Do not wish to recount their experiences to a stranger ( law enforcement, lawyers)
2) Do not want to endure the scrutiny involved with an investigation ( the whole, why were there, why were you dressed as such, why were you drunk bullpoop that happens in every investigation)
3) does not wish to deal with the real or perceived shaming from peers)
4) afraid that people will treat them differently or be uncomfortable around them in personal and/or professional settings
5) Afraid they will not be believed
6) afraid any power held over them by the offender will be exercised

I could go on and on but really, all these reasons should be very familiar to you if you have a dozen close relationships with women because a 3rd of them have probably been victims of sexual assault.

New statement from Sopel

https://twitter.com/brent.../1454177944994295811?s=20

Why do I suspect he's been hearing from a few former teammates?
- pdx2ord

Maybe he has but (frank) em

New statement from Sopel

https://twitter.com/brent.../1454177944994295811?s=20

Why do I suspect he's been hearing from a few former teammates?
- pdx2ord

Sounds self-serving to me, perhaps continuing to throw the teammates under the bus. Lots of praise for the integrity of the Wirtz family.

Maybe he has but (frank) em
- HonkyTonkMan

Your team is looking good. Hyman certainly gives the forward lines a different, better, look. I’d like their chances better with a different goalie.

What if your kids asked you not to? Begged and pleaded even and gave all the reasons why they would prefer? ( I’ll list them in case you unfamiliar)
1) Do not wish to recount their experiences to a stranger ( law enforcement, lawyers)
2) Do not want to endure the scrutiny involved with an investigation ( the whole, why were there, why were you dressed as such, why were you drunk bullpoop that happens in every investigation)
3) does not wish to deal with the real or perceived shaming from peers)
4) afraid that people will treat them differently or be uncomfortable around them in personal and/or professional settings
5) Afraid they will not be believed
6) afraid any power held over them by the offender will be exercised

I could go on and on but really, all these reasons should be very familiar to you if you have a dozen close relationships with women because a 3rd of them have probably been victims of sexual assault.
- HonkyTonkMan

Spot on

The pressure on him, in the hockey environment, as an unproven prospect was immense.