WARNING: This story contains distressing details
Kyle Beach has stepped forward as John Doe 1 in the Chicago NHL team’s sexual assault investigation.
Beach appeared on TSN’s SportsCentre on Wednesday night to identify himself as the first accuser of former Chicago video coach Brad Aldrich.
He had been named John Doe 1 in court documents related to the alleged sexual assault in 2010.
Beach, from North Vancouver, B.C., was selected 11th overall in the 2008 draft by Chicago.
He never played in the NHL but was a so-called Black Ace for Chicago in 2010, practising with the team on a regular basis in case the team needed a replacement player if another player was injured.
An independent review by an outside law firm, commissioned by the team in response to two lawsuits, stretched into several corners of the NHL on Tuesday. The league has fined Chicago $2 million US for “the organization’s inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response.”
WATCH | Chicago GM Stan Bowman resigns amid team’s sexual assault allegation saga:
The Chicago NHL team’s decision to delay taking action after a sexual assault allegation was made against a video coach has led to the resgination of the team’s general manager, a $2-million fine and questions about what needs to happen to other team officials who didn’t act sooner. 2:00
Florida coach Joel Quenneville is to meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday, and Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff also plans to talk to the commissioner. Both were with Chicago when the allegations were first reported to team leadership.
According to the report, the encounter between the 20-year-old Doe — now self-identified as Beach — and Aldrich, then 27, occurred on May 8 or 9 in 2010.
Beach told investigators that Aldrich threatened him with a souvenir baseball bat before forcibly performing oral sex on him and masturbating, allegations that he also detailed in his lawsuit.
Aldrich told investigators the encounter was consensual. Asked Wednesday about the law firm’s report, Aldrich responded: “I have nothing to say.”
Beach made his professional hockey debut with the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, Chicago’s minor-league affiliate, as an 18-year-old in 2008.