[News] Kyle Beach reveals himself as John Doe, speaks out to TSN's Rick Westhead about abuse

[dustygoon]

While late to the game and strangely on the fence before, the big reporters like LeBrun and Elliott can now start taking full-on swings at the Blackhawks, the GM, and the coaches. That pressure is needed. Looks like Frank has started.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Wild that Quenneville is coaching right now. Holy ####, what a brutal league haha

The NHL is a ####ing joke. Just an absolute embarrassment.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Maybe this isn't the right time to say this, but it's on my mind. I was looking up players I thought it might be before this came out, and looking up Kyle Beach, some of the articles written about him were vicious. Biggest bust in Blackhawks history, bad attitude, the Beach experiment needs to end, doesn't have what it takes to play in the NHL, etc.

I didn't think anything of it. But, learning that it was him and with those articles fresh in my mind, and hearing his stories, I can't help wonder if there's just something wrong with everything. The way hockey players are covered in the media, the way we talk about them as fans. We don't treat them like people. This was a kid who was a victim of sexual assault, and people were talking about him like he was disposable garbage.

I don't know what my point is, other than the fact that I feel upset about it, and it's just another thing Beach had to face quietly, and how awful that must have been.

You have put it very eloquently. They are human beings, and sometimes the vitriol they face for a rough patch or not meeting expectations is just not right. All this definitely goes back to them, especially in this day and age. Mental health is very important and us as fans have to be better. Find fault in the player, but not the person. Find fault in the plays, but not the personality.

[Kovaz]

Originally Posted by Ped

Sports in general creates a rather toxic atmosphere imo, which I don't follow them all that much anymore. The team mentality, the sacrifice everything for the team, they way fans treat the fans of other teams, the way it's all called just for fun, when in reality, there's a lot of situations that are not fun at all.

Yeah this is at the heart of it. Pro sports is an industry so psychotically obsessed with winning that nearly anything is acceptable if it results in a ring. This is a really, really ugly effect of that, but this isn't some exceptional Chicago Blackhawks-specific problem. It's what happens when a group of people who work their entire lives for maybe one shot at a championship have to make a choice: Do I do the right thing even if it hurts our chances of winning? When every person in the room is in the 99.9th percentile of willingness to do whatever it takes to win.


I don't know what the right repercussions are going to be, but if this thing blows over and the Hawks still have 3 rings, does it even matter? What's to stop the next Kyle Beach from being swept under the rug in the name of a Cup?


In any case he's incredibly brave to come forward like this and I can't imagine the suffering he's gone through. I really hope there's some lasting changes that make the next team in Chicago's shoes make a different choice, because a $2M fine and a GM stepping down ain't it.

[burn_this_city]

This is the culture of pro sports, win at all costs with disposable assets. Everything else that happens along the way is noise.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

The NHL is a ####ing joke. Just an absolute embarrassment.

TBF, right now it’s on the Panthers. Bettman technically has to cross his Ts and hear Quenneville out and the NHL’s lawyers are probably still searching out how they can actually force Florida to do something.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

While late to the game and strangely on the fence before, the big reporters like LeBrun and Elliott can now start taking full-on swings at the Blackhawks, the GM, and the coaches. That pressure is needed. Looks like Frank has started.

Kyle Beach did mention that media knew/had some idea about this too, along with the players etc. He very briefly mentioned that I think, but I definitely wonder if this was known in other hockey circles.

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

Just announced that Toews has been cleared and is warming up now. Disgusting showing by him.

####ing coward.

[Mr.Coffee]

I just read the report, Jesus. This is crazy there isn’t more of a #### storm happening in the media (Sportsnet or generally other media) and people getting canned.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

TBF, right now it’s on the Panthers. Bettman technically has to cross his Ts and hear Quenneville out and the NHL’s lawyers are probably still searching out how they can actually force Florida to do something.

It’s also on Quenneville himself, but yes the Panthers too. They need to do the right thing.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by Nyah

####ing coward.

Wait, he wasn’t cleared for the pre game interviews? Awfully convenient.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

While late to the game and strangely on the fence before, the big reporters like LeBrun and Elliott can now start taking full-on swings at the Blackhawks, the GM, and the coaches. That pressure is needed. Looks like Frank has started.

TBH it’s already a very poor look on them specifically that they haven’t taken swings yet. Get some guts.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

TBF, right now it’s on the Panthers. Bettman technically has to cross his Ts and hear Quenneville out and the NHL’s lawyers are probably still searching out how they can actually force Florida to do something.

I don't disagree, I should not have just quoted the Queenville part. The fact that the Devils got a larger fine for Kovalchuk is completely on the league. Through the leagues actions they have demonstrated that circumventing the salary cap is more egregious in their mind than covering up for an individual who sexually assaults young men. Quite the values statement.

[Philly06Cup]

Has the NHL made a public statement? This is a deeply sad situation. I wouldn't be surprised if there are many other players who have also faced similar abuse.


I would love to see the NHL speak out. Offer more support and awareness. Take more preventative measures if possible. Fines and firings are a good start to make restitutions, but let's make sure this #### is eradicated and doesn't happen again.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

I just read the report, Jesus. This is crazy there isn’t more of a #### storm happening in the media (Sportsnet or generally other media) and people getting canned.

That report is graphic and horrific. No idea how someone reads that and leaves this to sit for a few days until they can have a meeting.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

I just read the report, Jesus. This is crazy there isn’t more of a #### storm happening in the media (Sportsnet or generally other media) and people getting canned.

Sportsnet and TSN suck at the nhl’s teat. Bad press hurts their bottom line too.

[agulati]

Atleast suspend Quenneville till you can get to the bottom of this. That’s how Bill Peters was handled.

[Patek23]

I'm going to guess this is in the very early stages of the effects and how far-reaching this will be. Even if the league doesn't want it, public demand will force it.

[Beatle17]

I watched this twice as I got so pissed the first time and really feel for the young man. As to the league I like to watch, the executives in charge and others they all need to be shot into the sun.

As Kyle Beach mentioned Sheldon Kennedy I would like to see the league to immediately, not next summer, or after another investigation, to mandate each team put $5-10 million into a fund and have Sheldon Kennedy look after it, get together with Beach and others and design a program to help people and to identify how to fix it. This isn't just a Blackhawks problem, this is a league problem. So far the league response has been zero and unacceptable.

The NHL players need to dissolve their union today and restructure it. I have raged against the NHLPA for years and this just further cements my hate for that association.

Sorry for my rant, it just pisses me off to see people in positions of power taking advantage of young people (or people without an avenue to fight back) to build their own companies into their own little vanity projects (hold off to win a cup or make an extra million dollars).

All the best Kyle Beach.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

Has the NHL made a public statement? This is a deeply sad situation. I wouldn't be surprised if there are many other players who have also faced similar abuse.


I would love to see the NHL speak out. Offer more support and awareness. Take more preventative measures if possible. Fines and firings are a good start to make restitutions, but let's make sure this #### is eradicated and doesn't happen again.

Offering support and awareness is all the nhl will do. Nothing more.

They’ll create a players hotline, promise to take it seriously and have a victims of sexual abuse charity weekend, which will really be for the benefit of their PR and sponsors.

They have zero interest in actually fixing the problem or helping victims. They want to silence them and make them go away as quietly as possible.