Another ex-player alleges former video coach of Chicago's NHL team sexually assaulted him

WARNING: This story contains distressing  details

A former hockey player in the Chicago NHL team's organization has alleged in a lawsuit the team's former video coach sexually assaulted him during the 2009-10 season and the team responded inadequately to his complaint because it didn't want a disruption during its Stanley Cup run.

The Chicago Tribune reported Sunday the law firm of Romanucci & Blandin filed the lawsuit Thursday on behalf of their client, listed as "John Doe," in Cook County Circuit Court. The Associated Press was unable to reach a representative from the law firm.

The newspaper reported the plaintiff was a member of the Chicago team's so-called Black Aces squad, which was made up of minor-league players who travelled with the NHL team during the playoffs to fill in in case of injuries.

One of the player's Black Aces teammates was Kyle Beach, who reached a settlement with the team in December 2021 after alleging he was sexually assaulted by then-video coach Brad Aldrich.

The lawsuit filed last week raises similar allegations against Aldrich and said the team showed "utter indifference and/or conscious disregard for the safety of its employees, including John Doe."

The NHL team, in a statement to the Tribune, declined to comment on the specifics of the latest lawsuit. It said it takes allegations of workplace misconduct seriously and noted that two years ago the team initiated an independent investigation into the events of 2010.

"We've changed as a result of what happened and implemented numerous positive improvements throughout our organization to ensure the safety and well-being of our players and employees," the team said.

"This includes completely rebuilding the leadership team with personnel who