Player reps given findings from investigation into Fehr’s handling of Beach allegations

TSN Senior Correspondent

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NHL team player representatives are voting on whether to publicly disclose results of an investigation into NHL Players’ Association executive director Don Fehr’s response to concerns raised by two player agents about former Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach’s alleged sexual assault, an NHLPA spokesman confirmed to TSN.

Team player representatives were given copies of the investigation findings, prepared by Toronto law firm Cozen O’Connor, before an NHLPA conference call Monday night. It will take 18 of the 32 reps voting in favour of a public release for that to happen. Voting will be open until Thursday, the NHLPA said. 

Some players have already voted to make the report public, a source familiar with the matter told TSN.

The [NHLPA] executive board was provided with the independent report on Friday, held a board meeting on Monday where the investigators discussed their findings, and is currently voting on whether to make the report public," NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon wrote in an emailed statement to TSN. "Only a review of the entire report will provide an accurate view of the extensive work done and determinations made by the independent investigators.”

Beach alleged he was sexually assaulted during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs by former team video coach Brad Aldrich. The team and Beach settled his negligence lawsuit in December. Before that litigation was settled, the Blackhawks hired Chicago law firm Jenner & Block to investigate Beach’s allegations. The NHL team disclosed Jenner & Block’s findings in October, 2021. 

The NHLPA voted to commission a third-party investigation of Fehr after details about his connection to Beach’s case first emerged in the Jenner &