Also i can't speak for others but every place I've been employed and my wife, no one (frank)ed with HR, including Owners, CEOs CFOs, the 1 dept that could literally turn a person's life upside down.
- BetweenTheDots

Yup. All it takes is one unsubstantiated/fabricated claim to HR and your whole life is turned upside down. It’s a great system.

As Mo’s good friend would say, connect the dots.
- paulr

Well, if the team did nothing 11 years ago, it was about protecting the brand. Money.

If (IF) the meeting attendees did nothing - no excuses for inexcusable and enabling behavior.
- StLBravesFan

And.......the players did nothing......until 11 years later. After the team let the perp leave the company; and the perp went to jail, was released, and registered as a sex offender. Now, suddenly, ten years after the statute of limitations expired, and without ever calling police themselves, it is very important that this creep be stopped! C'mon man.....

I see in Wiz' mock draft he has the Swedish goalie Wallstedt falling to the Hawks pick at 12 and the Hawks selecting him.

https://www.lines.com/nhl/drafts

Personally, instead of a goalie, I would like to see them take the next best available top forward or defenseman - possibly Lucius, Lysell or Lambos.
- boilermaker100

ya looking at the Hockey News they have the Hawks taking Wallstedt also .Not sure what the Hawks will do he may have the highest celling at that point in the draft unless someone slips back .I really like that Cossa kid if we are taking goalies in the 1st and I know that is frowned upon here but watching the final 4 all teams have a 1st RD pick in net . I don't believe the Hawks will be knocking on the Cup finals door for 4 or 5 years lots of time to develop a couple home grown goalies by then .

I agree with the first part of your assumption, for sure. But I thought the root of the issue is that the organization (Gary) convinced/pressured player(s) not to do that. Which may or may not be illegal, but it is certainly suspect and, as others have mentioned, could very well resulted in preventing that following crime.
- stonefire

Good point. That's part of it - and a bad look for Gary, if true - but the meeting with McD was after that. So they kept pushing after Gary did whatever he did. If - it is a large if - they get past the statue of limitations issue, they need a good explanation for not going to the police themselves if they didn't like the team's response. Also, they do not have standing to sue on behalf of others. The later victims might be able to, but the case is not very strong. Their suit is about them and the damage done to them by the team's actions.

And.......the players did nothing......until 11 years later. After the team let the perp leave the company; and the perp went to jail, was released, and registered as a sex offender. Now, suddenly, ten years after the statute of limitations expired, and without ever calling police themselves, it is very important that this creep be stopped! C'mon man.....
- mohel

And if the team had done what they should have 11 years ago - at least investigate to see if legal action was warranted - perhaps Aldrich wouldn’t have been in position to criminally assault a Michigan high school player.

C’mon man….

Good point. That's part of it - and a bad look for Gary, if true - but the meeting with McD was after that. So they kept pushing after Gary did whatever he did. If - it is a large if - they get past the statue of limitations issue, they need a good explanation for not going to the police themselves if they didn't like the team's response. Also, they do not have standing to sue on behalf of others. The later victims might be able to, but the case is not very strong. Their suit is about them and the damage done to them by the team's actions.
- mohel

Phuck the lawsuit - that’s not the important issue (except, of course, to the possible victims and the team).

The issue is what did these five adult men do compared with what they should have done - why didn’t they investigate (yes, assuming they didn’t) - why didn’t they take the allegations seriously (yes, if they didn’t). They have a responsibility, as management in positions of power and authority, to do more than consider the brand.

Saying that the players should have done something ten years ago - yes, fine, the should have. You would hope that someone was advising them who had their interest in mind, not the interests of the team. But the five members of Blackhawk management should have done something, too

Phuck the lawsuit - that’s not the important issue (except, of course, to the possible victims and the team).

The issue is what did these five adult men do compared with what they should have done - why didn’t they investigate (yes, assuming they didn’t) - why didn’t they take the allegations seriously (yes, if they didn’t). They have a responsibility, as management in positions of power and authority, to do more than consider the brand.

Saying that the players should have done something ten years ago - yes, fine, the should have. You would hope that someone was advising them who had their interest in mind, not the interests of the team. But the five members of Blackhawk management should have done something, too
- StLBravesFan

The victims themselves go to management and say "a crime was committed by the coach; I'm not willing to call the police, but you should." BTW, what was the crime? AFAIK, no sexual contact occurred. The coach pulling a Toobin is indecent exposure. Sexual advances toward other adults is not a crime. What was the crime?

The fact that they didn't call the police themselves goes to their credibility, especially given the ten year interval. Other then employment references, nothing they could have done changes his future employment. Without the victims willingness to press charges (you can't say they were willing to do so because they didn't), there's also nothing the police would do. The power to prevent further victims rested with the two players.

It wouldn't shock me if some extreme group is paying off this victim just to weaken the team, so that the discussion of changing the name will be brought up again.

It wouldn't shock me if some extreme group is paying off this victim just to weaken the team, so that the discussion of changing the name will be brought up again.
- powerenforcer

I tried but I cannot connect those dots, never mind the thought process. How do you come up with these things?

It wouldn't shock me if some extreme group is paying off this victim just to weaken the team, so that the discussion of changing the name will be brought up again.
- powerenforcer

That will he a soap box issue for another dull day during the off season.

I tried but I cannot connect those dots, never mind the thought process. How do you come up with these things?
- paulr

You need to open your eyes first. You don't have to connect the dots. Why are the Braves still playing baseball in Atlanta? Last I checked Atlanta is in the same state the all-star game was supposed to be played in. I can't connect those dots, yet MLB ran away from Atlanta.

Pretty unreasonable given he was convicted of sexual assault of a minor four years later. Obviously, he was a predator that should have been strung up and Mussolinied.
- jfkst1

So you are saying that if you commit the criminal act in any given year you absolutely must have done the criminal act 4 years earlier? Would that be true 5 years earlier? 7 years earlier? 15 years earlier? You know this for a certainty?

It wouldn't shock me if some extreme group is paying off this victim just to weaken the team, so that the discussion of changing the name will be brought up again.
- powerenforcer

No extreme group needed. Just Bettman.

You need to open your eyes first. You don't have to connect the dots. Why are the Braves still playing baseball in Atlanta? Last I checked Atlanta is in the same state the all-star game was supposed to be played in. I can't connect those dots, yet MLB ran away from Atlanta.
- powerenforcer

My eyes are wide open. We start at victims of alleged sexual abuse, you somehow linked that to changing the name of the Blackhawks then you jump from Chicago to Atlanta and MLB and the Allstar game and running away from Atlanta? How does all that not make you dizzy?

No extreme group needed. Just Bettman.
- mohel

And Bettman hates the Hawks.

And Bettman hates the Hawks.
- paulr

And if the team had done what they should have 11 years ago - at least investigate to see if legal action was warranted - perhaps Aldrich wouldn’t have been in position to criminally assault a Michigan high school player.

C’mon man….
- StLBravesFan

According to the plaintiffs lawyer, he also went to the NHLPA, and nothing happened. If true, why aren't they also named in the lawsuit?

Mahalo, Theo!
Blackhawks need a couple of the youngsters develop to exceed expectations and bring in/develop more guys too.
Draft well and sign the right free agents.
Use cap space to full advantage against teams that need to shed salary by making them add a blue chipper.
All avenues for improvement should be pursued.
It can happen pretty fast if a couple of these things hit each year for the next couple years. I think only one of the above hitting gets them into the 2022 playoffs.
- 35Tony0

Strome, Perlini, Queneville, Nylander, Borgstrom TBD, 4k, still waiting 3 years for one to "hit." Time to go after "real" players.

THIS TEAM IS NOT TOUGH TO PLAY AGAINST. AND IF ANYBODY GIVE ZADOROV 5 MIL A YEAR FOR 5 YEARS , THAT GM SHOULD BE FIRED. AND WE WILL TAKE THE 1ST AND 3RD ROUND PICKS . SO I EXPECT ZADOROV WILL BE IN THE KHL NEST YEAR
- Ging72

Ouch!

And Bettman hates the Hawks.
- paulr

Easy peasy.

Can't believe that Z's agent is wanting him to get paid more than Keith and only $1M less than Seabrook. But if true, I'm sure it's just a negotiating tactic. Stan is probably offering close to the QO offer of 3.2M, maybe a bit more, say 3.4M. Z's probably hoping for somewhere north of $4M.

That said $4M+ is too rich for a 3rd pair D in this flat cap world, 6'-6" and occasionally physical, or not. Z is arbitration available and I'm sure his agent will point out the fancy stats saying he is an effective defenseman. If it goes to arbitration and the arbiter splits the difference between 3.4 and 5.85, that's about 4.65M. Ouch. The Hawks can walk away only if the award is greater than 4.538M.
- boilermaker100

I don't know how it works but they walked away from Niemi?

Strome, Perlini, Queneville, Nylander, Borgstrom TBD, 4k, still waiting 3 years for one to "hit." Time to go after "real" players.
- rpeters01

None of those you mentioned were brought in by the means I suggested.

Strome, Perlini, Queneville, Nylander, Borgstrom TBD, 4k, still waiting 3 years for one to "hit." Time to go after "real" players.
- rpeters01

Speaking of real players, I might have missed this in the last thread, but Spector reported today:


"UPDATES ON JONES AND HAMILTON

THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers cited a source claiming the Chicago Blackhawks are going to explore adding either Dougie Hamilton or Seth Jones to their defense corps this summer. However, they don’t intend to leverage their future to add either blueliner.

The Blackhawks won’t be interested should Hamilton seek a deal comparable to the $8.8 million annually on a seven-year deal Alex Pietrangelo signed last October with the Vegas Golden Knights. They would, however, consider discussions for a lower cap number.

As for Jones, it depends on the Columbus Blue Jackets’ asking price. One league source believes it could be a first-round pick, a second-rounder, and a high-quality prospect. Another felt Kirby Dach would have to be part of any offer from the Blackhawks."

According to the plaintiffs lawyer, he also went to the NHLPA, and nothing happened. If true, why aren't they also named in the lawsuit?
- LAHawk

Good question. They went to the President of the team and to the PA, but were afraid to go to the police? Then wait 11 years to sue the team. Sounds like a PE logic path (apologies, PE).

Was the perp sued?