Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz adamant franchise is 'not going to talk about Kyle Beach'

Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz shut down questions about fallout surrounding the Kyle Beach scandal that has embroiled the organization for much of the last year.

During a town hall with fans on Wednesday, one reporter asked the assembled panel, which include Wirtz and Blackhawks' CEO Danny Wirtz, about how Chicago intended to avoid any power imbalances between players and coaches in the future, like the one Beach negatively endured in 2010.

Beach, a former first-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2008, filed a lawsuit in May 2021 against Chicago alleging a prolonged sexual assault by the team's former video coach, Brad Aldrich, back in 2010. An independent investigation by the law firm Jenner & Block concluded that «nothing was done» by senior leaders to prevent the harassment Beach faced, and Chicago fired general manager Stan Bowman, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and others because of what Jenner & Block unearthed.

The Blackhawks ultimately resolved their lawsuit with Beach in December via a confidential settlement.

In his heated exchange during Wednesday's panel, Wirtz made it clear he's not willing to revisit the past.

«I think the report speaks for itself,» Wirtz said. «The people that were involved are no longer here. We're not looking back at 2010, we're looking forward. And we're not going to talk about 2010.»

When pressed again to discuss the Blackhawks' plans to protect players in the future, Wirtz doubled-down further.

«What we're going to do today is our business. I don't think it's any your business,» Wirtz said. «Because I don't think it's your business. You don't work for the company. If someone in the company asked that question, we'll answer it and I think you should get on to the