Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Blackhawks hold settlement talks with former player's lawyer

Share
CHICAGO -

The Chicago Blackhawks held settlement talks Tuesday with an attorney for a former player who is suing the team after he accused an assistant coach of sexual assault in 2010 and the team largely ignored the allegations.

The sides met for about an hour, according to Susan Loggans, who represents former first-round pick Kyle Beach. Loggans also is part of a second lawsuit against the team by a former high school student whom Brad Aldrich was convicted of assaulting in Michigan.

Loggans said she explained her basis for a settlement during the meeting, and the Blackhawks' attorneys "listened and discussed issues they feel affect this matter."

"The meeting was respectful and cordial for each side," she said. "But each side had different viewpoints. It was decided that an opportunity may exist to move forward. However, both parties will meet with their clients and meet again in the near future."

Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz and CEO Danny Wirtz, Rocky's son, have asked to meet with Beach, but Loggans said he "wants to see a little bit more about how they're going to treat the settlement issue before he makes his decision."

The Blackhawks said as late as mid-May that Beach's allegations lacked merit. But an in response to the two lawsuits and released last week, showed the organization badly mishandled Beach's allegations that he was assaulted by Aldrich during the team's 2010 Stanley Cup run. Aldrich told investigators the encounter was consensual.

Former federal prosecutor Reid Schar, who led the investigation, said his law firm found no evidence that Rocky or Danny Wirtz were aware of the allegations before Beach's lawsuit was brought to their attention ahead of its filing. But the report noted that many top executives were aware of the claim, and there was no evidence that the team took any action for about for three weeks.

The NHL fined Chicago $2 million for "the organization's inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response" to Beach's allegations. Commissioner Gary Bettman has faced questions about the punishment in comparison to past fines for teams, and Donald Fehr, the leader of the NHL players' association, has been criticized over the union response.

After Bettman spoke to the media Monday, the team apologized for saying Beach's allegations lacked merit. "It is clear now that our organization did not do the right thing," it said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected