NHL Rumor Mill – October 28, 2021
Speculation over who could become the next general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks in today’s NHL rumor mill.
THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers listed their potential candidates to replace Stan Bowman as general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks. Bowman stepped down on Tuesday following the release of Tuesday’s report into the findings of an independent investigation into allegations of sexual assault of two players by former video coach Bradley Aldrich.
Former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton (NHL.com).
Among the notable names on their list were NHL senior director of player safety Patrick Burke, analytics guru Meghan Chayka, former Los Angeles Kings assistant GM Michael Futa, former Rangers GM Jeff Gorton, former player and current TV commentator Ed Olczyk, Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Eric Tulsky and NHL analyst Kevin Weekes.
DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli included Gorton and Weekes on his list of potential candidates, joining interim Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson, Montreal Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby, Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray and former Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford.
TSN: Darren Dreger believes the Blackhawks need experience in the GM’s chair going forward. He suggested Rutherford, Gorton and former Penguins and New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks could stick with Davidson or look to someone else within their organization. Perhaps they think outside the box and bring in someone with limited management experience such as Chayka. Olczyk or Weekes.
Dreger could be right that they’ll look to someone with experience who can be a steady hand on the tiller. Gorton could be the best bet here given his rebuilding efforts with the Rangers.
What a Sh@!show in Chicago. Organization and management staff appear to have gotten off pretty light here, that report was pretty horrible in its findings. NHL also went very light on them compared to recent penalties to other organizations (i.e., Arizona). Just a sad story all around. I wish the affected player all the best in his future.
Not sure about Megan Chayka is a guru, her brother was the mastermind behind stathletes and we saw how that played out. Any team that hires will end the same way coyotes did, a mess.
this cover up is really a big scandal, how is Black Hawk cover up not reported on the US National News ? Not only should coach Q and Chevelydayoff lose their jobs, but if it’s true the NHL delayed an investigation as Kyle Beach stated, Bettman should take some major heat, and if Fehr actual knew about this, he needs to resign
Take Bob “Vodka” Murray from the DUCKS PLEEEEASSSSEEEEEEE.
That was HILLARIOUS!
Bergevin was cleared in the investigation, and is ready to sign a new contract after this season. He is a known quantity in Chicago, so I’d include his name in the mix.
Chayka never gets an NHL GM gig again. He was a disaster, and definitely not a trustworthy kind of guy either that you’d want to lead your organization and set a tone with.
I agree that Gorton’s work with rebuilding the Rangers puts him in the drivers’ seat.
Meghan Chayka, not John.
Bergevin May have been cleared of any wrongdoing but I still don’t see the Hawks bringing in anyone who was in their management at the time. The team needs a fresh start.
Pete. Megan Chayka is younger sister of former Yotes GM. She is name mentioned above, not John.
Gorton would be interesting choice. Would assume they’d go rebuild. Kane, Toews, and Fleury could all be available at deadline. Could we see another “letter”?
Why would anyone want to work for Chicago now?
To be a hero … that’s why you take the job.
Not sure Rutherford is the right fit, Gorton should be at the top of the list, forget Shero and Mellanby would be a good first timer … even though he was “cleared” Bergy probably won’t be considered, he was there when it happened.
Working for an organization that is still trying to pass the buck does not make you a hero.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,a staff writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers for The Athletic, reported yesterday that Duncan Keith wasn’t questioned in Brad Aldrich investigation. Bowman wrote that Keith said, “I’m not going to sit here and say there’s resentment (toward management) because of the way they handled it. I don’t know why it was handled that way. I can’t speak for them, but obviously, it should have been handled differently.”
Like Keith, I think it should have been handled differently, but I can understand why he’d feel no resentment toward management.
NHL records show that Kyle Beach was a 6’3″, 207-pound, first-round draft pick who was 20 years old at the time of his assault. Management may not have believed that such a stud could have been the sexual victim of Aldrich. Information about Aldrich is hard to verify, but he may have been as small as 5’5″ and 145 pounds.
What does Kyle Beach’s height and weigh have to do with ANYTHING?
Nasdaq– I’ll answer your question with a question.
What would you do If you were a 6’3″, 207-pound hockey player and a 5’5″ photographer hired by your team to film your playoff games tried to bugger you?
This would be a terrible excuse. Kyle Beach was intimidated with threats of ending a career and ending a dream by a member of the coaching staff. Size has nothing to do with it. This was total mental intimidation. “Management may not have believed that such a stud could have been the sexual victim of Aldrich”, as you said, would be cause for the investigation in the first place thus preventing everything everyone has gone through since. If they did not “believe” then they did not know the facts either. It set off a chain reaction that caused so much turmoil for the victims that most of us can’t even begin to understand. Management made the wrong choice for the wrong reasons period. They should have stood up for the player regardless of “distraction”. People are more important than a game. In this case, helping Kyle Beach is and was more important than winning a Stanley Cup.
C’mon! You’re throwing me a parabolic curve. Do you really know what Beach was dreaming and that threats terrified him? Can you explain why Duncan Keith isn’t resentful of management?
Retired NYPD Det Lieutenant who worked these types of cases for 22 years.
Congratulations Francis S.! You just wrote the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen, concerning a predators manipulation of a victim.
It;s not always physical, you asshat. It’s about Power, Leverage and Control.
All 3 things that the abuser used to full advantage over his vulnerable victim.
None of you can ever understand the aftereffects of something like this. I’ve seen the damage right up close.
Have you Francis S.?
Now go crawl back under whatever rock you came out from under.
You disgust me.
Simple answer is no investigation was done and this predator or whatever you want to call him got to move on and continued to do it. I don’t have the quote but I remember Beach talking about the threats in the interview and I remember reading about it in the 107 page report. Keith’s statement makes me happy I never bought his jersey. It is Keith’s opinion and he has more personal knowledge of it all.
I have been a fan of the hawks since the 80’s and this makes the last 11 years impossible to look at as successful.
I can tell you I was excited when Beach was drafted. I remember reading how he was a physical forward with a ton of skill. I believe he was compared, in a good way, to Claude Lemieux.
Why isn’t Keith resentful? He got a ring. And that’s what matters to him.
Chrisms, you have no idea what matters to Duncan Keith or any player.
It is difficult to square that the players didn’t all know. But it isn’t beyond the realm and fact is we don’t know.
Keith did a full interview and answered every question you can find it online if you care to watch it.
Here is his full answer to that question:
Rob Tychkowski: The players didn’t know at the time, but management did know. Is there any resentment towards management because they didn’t handle it properly at the time?
Keith: I’m not going to sit here and say there’s resentment because of the way they handled it. I don’t know why it was handled that way, I can’t speak for them, but obviously, it should have been handled differently.
Here is a link if you want to read the Q&A.
https://oilersnation.com/2021/10/27/duncan-keith-on-chicago-blackhawks-fiasco/
Nevinsrip-There would be no need for courts if it were up to cops to decide the outcome of lawsuits. So far, those penalized are those who didn’t act when they should have. Until the suit goes to court, all charges against anybody are alleged. There’s no doubt that Aldrich is perverse, but I think that the success of Beach’s suit will depend somewhat on the court deciding whether he submitted a bit to easily.
Let’s hope that Aldrich’s trial isn’t delayed by a progression of cops being tried for shooting before asking questions. They evidently exist, and should be made to retire.
nevinsrip, I saw much the same in my years in the Canada Immigration Enforcement program – illegal immigrants (visitor, student, temporary worker overstays – male and female) pressured by employers using threats of exposure – with often devastating results.
What you say is bang on – unless people have witnessed it first-hand they should just STFU.
What a dumb comment Francis
A kid is a kid regardless of physical attributes. Wasn’t even legal age in the USA. Where are the criminal proceedings ?
When is Chevy”s interview ?
Eddie O loves his horses too much. I don’t think he would have the time it takes. My pick is Mellanby
IMHO
Weekes would be a great choice
At the opposite end ….. “not a great choice” which would be inferring that there is a potential however minimal (and he should not be considered) ; and could be a route to take as last resort….. shouldn’t at all…. Rutherford….. but that’s me … all here who have heard my incessant jabs at him know that I’m extremely biased…. But I truly believe he should not even be considered…. And this has zero to do with current BlackHawks issues…. Just his (IMHO) ability to be an effective GM for building Hawks back to contenders
Cant believe that the penalty was less than the Devils got for the Kovalchuk circumvention. That is a statement as good as nay as to how Bettman and other view this
@Kent, totally agree, see my comment above. The NHL fined Chicago $2 million, that is about as a small of a slap on the wrist as you can do to an organization that large, but the “appearance” is he did something. Bettman and crew will always support his large market teams and come down like a wrecking ball on the small ones. Its his Napoleonic complex (and where he knows the money is).
Philadelphia Atlanta LA…wait thats in a Steve Miller song
Guess we’ll need to update this article to show that Florida will require a new coach…..I wonder if Winnipeg will be needing a new GM as well.
Stinky stuff.
I thought I had come to the new “meta” page with all the opinions being bandied about.