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

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Joborule

Yeah, but unfortunately in the business world, that's all they have to do.

Just manage the PR storm that will go on for a few weeks, and then it'll be old news that people won't talk about again; unless a similar incident comes up in the future.

As long as the NHL doesn't ultimately lose fans/money from this, they're not going to do more than necessary (legally) to rectify this issue. Which is unfortunate, because the NHL 4th place in the major leagues of the US. They could be getting ahead of the curb here, and gain more support by being very progressive in gaining diverse fans by taking strong actions to fix the damage done here. It would show through actions that hockey is progressive, rather than a vanilla 'Hockey is for Everyone' marketing campaign. It's the same thing with Akim Aliu and black players situation.

People won't care. Social issues do not move the needle when it comes to sports. Look at the NFL and Kaepernick, for example.

I think the NHL should do the right thing, I just don't think doing the right thing gets more fans, especially in the USA.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

He's already out. His sentence was nine months, which is the state maximum based on Michigan's sentencing guidelines.

9 months for rape? Crazy.

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1458096068642721799

[devo22]

wow, the league is really trying hard to handle this as badly as possible.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1458096068642721799

Absolutely shameful. A billion dollar league can’t support a person who’s gone through unquestionable pain and trauma based on how an NHL team who demonstrated callus disregard for what their responsibilities were when dealing with a monster of Brad Aldrich’s degree. Bettman is a monster himself if he thinks this is an acceptable stance and I hope an army of people stand behind John Doe 2 and push the league to give him the help and support he needs.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by devo22

wow, the league is really trying hard to handle this as badly as possible.

Likely because it might well be construed as an admission of liability.

Let the Hawks' pay, they are the ones who really need to own this.

[rohara66]

I'm sure his response would be "didn't happen in the NHL, not an NHL issue".


He's such a joke.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Absolutely shameful. A billion dollar league can’t support a person who’s gone through unquestionable pain and trauma based on how an NHL team who demonstrated callus disregard for what their responsibilities were when dealing with a monster of Brad Aldrich’s degree. Bettman is a monster himself if he thinks this is an acceptable stance and I hope an army of people stand behind John Doe 2 and push the league to give him the help and support he needs.

This was almost certainly the position their lawyers advised them to take.

[devo22]

given everything that's happened, I just don't think that "let the Hawks handle it" is a smart idea.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Weitz

This was almost certainly the position their lawyers advised them to take.

So? It’s just another example of how big business marches on and can dodge accountability with out batting an eye. Good for the lawyers advising the NHL to proceed down this path, it won’t change how people perceive how this looks… which is bad. The league, the NHLPA, the player agent, the Blackhawks… they’ve all treated this like a pass the hot potato but it’s a persons quality of life they’ve been passing around for a decade and through their own negligence on how they’ve ALL handled this the collateral damage of how they went about handling this ended up destroying a teenagers life and that now is becoming a pass the hot potato… another life that’s been forever changed for the worse by how the league and its stakeholders handled this. It’s absolutely shameful and to say that this certainly is the position that the leagues lawyers advised to take doesn’t make it ok.

[PepsiFree]

The men in that meeting that let this happen by doing nothing would do well to get together and pay for John Doe 2’s therapy themselves. At least to show they directly recognise the consequences of their actions.

The NHL won’t step up. The Blackhawks of today could step up, but I think Bowman, Q, Chevy, McDonough and the others need to step in here. It’s easy to say what you would do, I know, but if I knew something I didn’t or didn’t do directly led to a boy being raped, you bet I would give anything to make it right.

[Knightslayer]

I think the NHL would easily pay for it but they likely are going to face a lawsuit from John Doe 2 so they might appear to accept responsibility if they paid for his health care and that wouldn't look good in court.

Doesn't make it a right reason but that's probably why.

[Joborule]

It's liability that the NHL is not doing it, and it's the right move by legal standards. This happen with the Blackhawks organization, it should be them that handles it.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Likely because it might well be construed as an admission of liability.

Let the Hawks' pay, they are the ones who really need to own this.

It would be an overall tiny amount of money for the NHL. Worth it for a PR win for a league that needs one.

[Lord Carnage]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

It would be an overall tiny amount of money for the NHL. Worth it for a PR win for a league that needs one.

Except - as others have pointed out - if that action is construed as accepting liability, it becomes a potential massive amount of money in a lawsuit.

We don't have to love law and lawyers, but they understand how these things play out. Legally (not court of public opinion), the right thing to do is let the Hawks cover this.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Lord Carnage

Except - as others have pointed out - if that action is construed as accepting liability, it becomes a potential massive amount of money in a lawsuit.

We don't have to love law and lawyers, but they understand how these things play out. Legally (not court of public opinion), the right thing to do is let the Hawks cover this.

Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.

[Lord Carnage]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.

lol - ok, fair enough...

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Likely because it might well be construed as an admission of liability.

Let the Hawks' pay, they are the ones who really need to own this.

It might be construed as such, sure.

I'm not sure about Canada, but in America, this would go likely go against the Rules of Evidence. Evidence of subsequent remedial measures can't be used as admissions of any sort.

So now it's bad PR and it likely wouldn't be used in court anyways.

Ethics aside, I think the action is questionable.

[1qqaaz]

The Chicago Blackhawks have filed a motion to dismiss.

"In its motion to dismiss Beach’s lawsuit, the team wrote that it has “committed to pursue a reasonable resolution of the issues raised by Mr. Beach as a moral imperative rather than a legal obligation.”

The Blackhawks argue that according to statute of limitations laws, an individual seeking damages for a personal injury has two years from the date of an injury to file a lawsuit. The only exception to that rule, the team says, is for victims of childhood sexual abuse."

Actions speak louder than words. The Blackhawks are likely using it as leverage, such as a BATNA, for upcoming mediation.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Things just keep on getting worse

https://twitter.com/user/status/1489386622596562949