The Oilers are hiring former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman to take over as the club’s newest GM and executive vice president of hockey operations, the team announced Wednesday.
The controversial decision is drawing plenty of backlash.
Bowman was one of the three members banned from the NHL after a 2021 investigation found that the Blackhawks mishandled a 2010 sexual assault allegation within the Chicago organization. Bowman, along with head coach Joel Quenneville and executive Al MacIsaac, all left their positions and were not allowed to take jobs in the NHL.
After more than two years away from the league, the NHL reinstated the trio on July 1 of this year.
“For more than the last two and a half years, these individuals have been ineligible to work for any NHL team as a result of their inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks’ player Kyle Beach had been assaulted by the club’s video coach,” the league said. “While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals … has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership.”
In Edmonton, Bowman takes over for Ken Holland, who left his position as general manager of the Oilers after the 2024 postseason.
Here is more on the Bowman hire and why it is so controversial.
MORE: Blackhawks sexual assault scandal, explained
Why did Oilers hire Stan Bowman?
Bowman was at the helm of three Stanley Cup championship teams in Chicago, so the hire makes sense based on his results on the ice. The Blackhawks won the 2010, 2013 and 2015 titles during his time with the organization, as the club was considered to be one of the greatest dynasties of this century.
“I am excited and pleased to be welcoming Stan to the Edmonton Oilers,” said Jeff Jackson, the Oilers’ CEO of hockey operations. “I believe his vast experience and proven success in this role, together with the important work he has done in his time away from the game, fits our goal of being best in class when it comes to all facets of our organization.
“Through our many conversations, we share a common vision of where we are as a team and what is required to achieve another Stanley Cup title.”
But his tenure in Chicago was marred due to his involvement in the Kyle Beach sexual assault scandal.
Blackhawks sexual assault scandal
In May 2021, during an interview with TSN’s Rick Westhead, Beach came forward as the “John Doe” involved in a lawsuit against the Blackhawks.
The filing alleged the Blackhawks ignored and chose to cover up his accounts of sexual assault against him from then-video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010. Following a four-month independent investigation that described the incidents that occurred in 2010, the Blackhawks released a detailed 107-page document to the public.
Following the news, Bowman “stepped aside” from his role with the Blackhawks.
According to the investigation, Bowman was among seven men who were part of a May 23, 2010 meeting that discussed the allegations. Despite awareness of an incident involving Beach and Aldrich, human resources was not notified until June 14, 2010, a few days after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.
Per the report, Aldrich invited Beach over to his residence during the Blackhawks’ second round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. He allegedly told him “he had the power to get John Doe onto the Blackhawks’ roster” before turning on pornography. Beach said during his interview for the report that “Aldrich threatened John Doe by telling John Doe he needed to act like he enjoyed the sexual encounter or John Doe would never play in the NHL ‘or walk’ again.”
Aldrich then forcibly performed sexual acts before threatening Beach again.
“I was scared mostly,” Beach said. “I was fearful. I had my career threatened. I felt alone and dark. I felt like I was alone and there was nothing I could do and nobody I could turn to for help. And I didn’t know what to do as a 20-year-old.”
Beach never ended up playing for the Blackhawks. He spent parts of four more seasons with Rockford before multiple stints in Europe, 39 games with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in 2013-14 and seven ECHL games with the Missouri Mavericks.
“I did what I thought I had to do to survive, to continue chasing my dream and it was to not think about it, to not talk about it, ignore it and that’s all I could do,” Beach said. “I was threatened and my career was on the line. And if I had that in my head, there was no way I was gonna perform at the top of my capabilities.”
Aldrich described the encounter as consensual. He was allowed to leave his position with the Blackhawks after the 2010 incident.
He then took a position working at a high school in Michigan, where he engaged in sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old. He pleaded guilty to criminal sexual assault of a student, serving 270 days in jail and five years in prison.
“Whether it’s in hockey, soccer, any sport, any business, any company, there needs to be a system in place that it gets dealt with,” Beach said. “And that it’s somebody making the decision to deal with it, that has no skin in the game.
“Because if this had been reported to someone other than John McDonough, or Joel Quenneville or Stan Bowman that didn’t have skin in the game of winning a Stanley Cup, it would have been dealt with and would have protected all of the survivors that came after me.”
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