NHL commissioner expressed ‘sincere regret’ to Kyle Beach in aftermath of sexual abuse allegation
By Wayne Sterling, CNN
National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke with Kyle Beach, a former NHL player who said he was sexually assaulted by former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010, on ways the league can better protect players, according to NHL.com.
Beach’s attorney, Susan Loggins, said Bettman expressed his “sincere regret” on what had occurred and offered Beach help during a video call Saturday, including psychological services, according to the league’s website.
Beach is scheduled to meet with the Blackhawks on Tuesday, according to The Athletic. CNN has reached out to Beach’s attorney and the Chicago Blackhawks for comment.
According to several reports, Beach also spoke via video call with Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, about the league’s substance-abuse and behavioral-health program on Saturday. CNN has reached out to the NHLPA for comment.
Beach, 31, filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Blackhawks in May.
After an independent investigation commissioned by the Blackhawks following the lawsuit, the NHL fined the team $2 million Tuesday for what the league described as “the organization’s inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response.”
On Wednesday, Beach said in an interview with Canadian sports television station TSN that his life “was changed forever.” He also expressed “a great feeling of relief and vindication” and that “it was no longer my word against everybody else’s.”
The-CNN-Wire
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