'I'm Not Blaming Anybody': Joel Quenneville Speaks Over Two Years After Blackhawks Scandal

Joel Quenneville hasn't coached in the NHL since resigning in October 2021. He spoke to a podcast about the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal and the fallout.

Former NHL coach Joel Quenneville spoke publicly about the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault scandal for the first time since resigning more than two years ago.

Quenneville, 65, was Chicago’s coach when the team's video coach, Brad Aldrich, allegedly sexually assaulted one of the team's players, Kyle Beach, during the team's 2010 Stanley Cup run.

In an interview with Andy Strickland of The Cam & Strick Podcast, Quenneville took some responsibility for his part of the situation.

“I’m not blaming anybody. I blame myself for some things I could have and should have done differently,” Quenneville said.

“I didn't put it all together that it resembled sexual abuse or sexual assault by not asking more questions. And I take ownership on that. I think that had I known more, I think I could've — I would've handled it completely different.”

When allegations of misconduct against Aldrich made headlines in the summer of 2021, Quenneville initially denied having any knowledge of the incident. He claimed he had first heard of the allegations through the media. But a report released by law firm Jenner & Block in October 2021 contradicted that, with former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman recalling that Quenneville was informed of the incident and “shook his head and said that it was hard for the team to get where they are and they could not deal with (the allegations) now.”

In his interview with Strickland, Quenneville detailed a meeting he had with Chicago’s management during the 2010 Western Conference final.

“What I learned was that Brad — the video coach — was hanging around the (AHL) players. Socializing with them. Sending inappropriate texts. Going to bars. And basically, the guys were being bothered by it,” Quenneville said.

Quenneville said he doesn't think sexual assault was mentioned as part of that conversation and that nothing was resolved in that meeting. He added that he was under the impression the organization's management group would handle the rest of the situation. And after that meeting, he said he didn't learn any more details about Aldrich's involvement with Beach until he read the independent report.

“I’m not blaming anybody. But the upper management, I had a name for them. I called them ‘the firm.’ Not in a derogatory way at all. But just the way they did business. It was a matter of fact, you know, legal, business-like law firm, ” Quenneville said. “And that’s basically what it was. You knew your job and job description. You knew your role. You knew to stay in your lane. And you knew who the boss or bosses were.”

When Beach went public as the person referred to as ‘John Doe’ in the initial allegation of misconduct, he said he had meetings with Blackhawks personnel in Quenneville’s office.

“There's absolutely no way he can deny knowing it,” Beach told Westhead.

One day after Beach’s comments, Quenneville stepped down as the Florida Panthers' coach on Oct. 28, 2021.

Quenneville said he has talked to Beach since then.

“I reached out immediately once I heard the story, trying to say hello to him and talk to him,” he said. “And it took time for him to be comfortable with the conversation, and I don't want to discuss our conversation, but I think that's between us.”

When asked if he thinks it's fair that he's not coaching, Quenneville said it depends, but he does think he deserves a chance to coach again.

“One day, I think I coached my last game. And then the next day, I sit there (and think), 'Jeez, I'd like to get ahold of that team; that'd be fun to work with,' ” Quenneville said.