NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2021

by | Nov 3, 2021 | News, NHL | 36 comments

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff apologizes to Kyle Beach & addresses his role in the Blackhawks scandal, the Penguins and Wild GM Bill Guerin face a lawsuit over an alleged sexual assault by a former minor-league coach, plus game recaps & more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

CHEVELDAYOFF APOLOGIZES TO BEACH, ADDRESSES HIS ROLE IN BLACKHAWKS SCANDAL

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets general manager Kyle Cheveldayoff apologized to Kyle Beach during a video press conference yesterday for the alleged sexual abuse he suffered while with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 at the hands of the club’s then-video coach. He was accompanied by Jets governor and co-owner Mark Chipman.

Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff (NHL.com).

Cheveldayoff was the Blackhawks assistant GM at the time but maintained he had limited knowledge of what happened to Beach. He said the system failed the young forward, adding no one should have to endure what he did.

The Jets GM said the details of the alleged incidents were unclear to him at the time, claiming he only learned the full information earlier this year. He was absolved of wrongdoing last week by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as having been a “minor player” in the meeting of Blackhawks executives to discuss the incident. Cheveldayoff said it was his belief the allegations would be handled by his superiors.

Chipman expressed his full support of his general manager. He believes Cheveldayoff would have acted to help Beach had he known the full details of the allegations. Both men pledged they would do more going forward to be part of the solution league-wide to prevent future occurrences of abuse. Cheveldayoff said he’s been in touch with former player and sexual assault survivor Sheldon Kennedy and will be participating in Kennedy’s Respect in Sport program.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cheveldayoff and Chipman got emotional at times during that press conference. Both were commended by some in the media for what came across as a heartfelt apology and clarification of Cheveldayoff’s role with the Blackhawks at the time of the allegations.

Cheveldayoff’s involvement was limited to that one meeting with the Blackhawks executives, leaving him with the impression it had more to do with harassment involving text messages and unwanted advances. Nevertheless, some pundits feel there remain some unanswered questions and details about Cheveldayoff’s role in the coverup and his ongoing insistence that he knew nothing about what really happened to Kyle Beach. Time will tell if those questions are fully answered.

TSN: Rick Westhead (whose coverage of Beach’s story brought the Blackhawks scandal to light) reports Erin Skalde and husband Jarrod Skalde have filed a sexual assault lawsuit against former Pittsburgh Penguins minor-league coach Clark Donatelli, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin and Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ronald Burkle.

Jarrod Skalde and Donatelli were former coaches of the Penguins’ AHL franchise in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The suit alleges Donatelli allegedly sexually assaulted Mrs. Skalde during a road trip in November 2018, accusing Guerin, Lemieux and Burkle of engaging in a coverup of the incident. The Skaldes also filed an earlier lawsuit against the Penguins claiming they fired him on May 5, 2020, for complaining to the team about the sexual assault of his wife. Guerin, who was recently named general manager of the 2022 U.S. Men’s Olympic hockey team, is being investigated by the U.S. Center for SportSafe following Skalde’s complaint filed on Oct. 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The lawsuit claims Guerin told Skalde to keep quiet about the alleged incident when he brought it to Guerin’s attention seven months later. The Penguins released a statement claiming they took immediate action upon being notified of the allegation in June 2019, conducting a full investigation within 72 hours and Donatelli resigned from the organization. They also said Skalde remained in his job for an additional year until the team made staff reductions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Auston Matthews scored twice, Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists and Jack Campbell turned in a 26-save shutout as the Toronto Maple Leafs blanked the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0. The Leafs (5-4-1) have won three straight while the Golden Knights record slips to 4-5-0.

The Montreal Canadiens downed the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 for their third win of the season. Jake Allen made 22 saves for the shutout while Nick Suzuki tallied his first goal of the season and assisted on two others. Wings forwards Dylan Larkin (undisclosed) and Tyler Bertuzzi (COVID protocol) missed this game.

Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin left the game in the first period after being struck in the head by a shot from teammate Brett Kulak. He went to hospital but has returned to the team following the game. Earlier in the day, the Canadiens announced goaltender Carey Price will be emerging from the NHL’s player assistance program on Nov. 6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens offered no timetable for Price’s return to action. He underwent offseason knee surgery and was expected to be ready for the start of the season before going into the player assistance program. It could take several weeks before he makes his season debut.

Philadelphia Flyers netminder Carter Hart kicked out 29 shots for his first shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier each had a goal and an assist. The Coyotes are winless in their first 10 games (0-9-1) of this season. Earlier in the day, they announced Nick Schmaltz would miss at least three-four weeks with an upper-body injury.

The Anaheim Ducks got 28 saves from John Gibson for a 4-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils. Troy Terry scored twice to extend his points streak to nine games while Ryan Getzlaf collected three points. Struggling Ducks winger Maxime Comtois was a healthy scratch from this contest.

Kirill Kaprizov tallied his first goal of the season in overtime as the Minnesota Wild nipped the Ottawa Senators 5-4. Marcus Foligno tallied twice for the Wild while Drake Batherson and Josh Norris each had a goal and an assist for the Senators.

A shootout goal by Mark Scheifele lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars. He also collected an assist in regulation to extend his points streak to seven games. Stars center Tyler Seguin picked up a goal and an assist.

The Nashville Predators dropped the Calgary Flames 3-2 on an overtime goal by Matt Duchene, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Duchene also picked an assist on a goal by Filip Forsberg.

J.T. Miller scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Vancouver Canucks overcame a 2-0 deficit to down the New York Rangers 3-2. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist for the Rangers.

San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl scored two goals and added an assist to lead his club to a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Jeff Skinner tallied twice for the Sabres. The Sharks played without Timo Meier, who was added to their COVID protocol list.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen were the NHL’s three stars for October 2021. Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was named rookie of the month.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is sidelined with an upper-body injury unrelated to the offseason medical procedure that forced him to miss preseason play.

STLTODAY.COM: St. Louis Blues forward Kyle Clifford was added to their COVID protocol list yesterday.







36 Comments

  1. At least Cheveldayoff and Chipman looked and acted like they actually cared, unlike the two morons the other day who looked like they were pissed off about being bothered by “trivial” matters like this.

    • Usually the AGM is GM of the farm team. Which was coached at that time by Bill Peters and the Akim Aliu incident was also in this period of time Beach was a Black Ace for the playoffs but was a full time member of the IceHogs.

      You’d think he’d want to be more involved with it being one of “his” players

  2. The Jets twosome were very emotional, as they should be given the threat to their jobs. It is very hard to believe that Chevy was either simply a stooge for Bowman, a “gopher”, or simply clueless. What ass’t GM does not have a better grasp of what’s going on with the club than this? The NHL management has done virtually nothing to investigate and until outside experts conduct an inquiry, major shadows hang over Cheveldayoff.
    Emotion eleven years later is simply not sufficient.

    • Crying and Lying.

      If as assistant GM he new nothing then he should be fired for being the most clueless person in management so…

      Lying or useless. I think I know which one.

    • Jon and Flying V, have to disagree.
      I have stated on here before issues like this are always kept to a small group for the privacy of all involved in all large companies.
      What was discussed in the meeting was an allegation, unproved, of harassment. Still not cool but a far cry from assault. And an allegation that you don’t blab about until you know the facts.
      His boss, and his boss’s boss said they would deal with it, guy was gone at the end of the year so he thought they did. They did find out and they covered it up.

      Everyone is calling this a coverup, because that is what it is.
      If you were Bowman and his boss and wanted to cover this up, AKA keep it a secret, do you tell the folks you work with what you are doing?
      Walk into the dressing room and blab about it?
      Even Beach, for very different reasons, said he kept it quiet for years.

      Seems counter intuitive to me. I believe Chevvy, and in no way should he be fired. Good for Chipman for standing up and doing what was right. Getting rid of a good guy to appease the vocals solves nothing and makes it worse IMO.

      • I rarely do but I have to disagree with you here. Everybody in that locker room new about. Pretty much the whole team and organization except the assistant GM?

        So if you are right that he did not know then I stick by him being clueless as to what is going on with his club and someone that clueless has no business being in management.

        He was told to be an ostrich and he did that one thing extremely well. That should have been enough to know something was going on but he blindly did what he was told and still thought there was nothing to see?

        He chose not to see if that is the case.

      • We don’t know that everybody in the dressing room knew.
        We don’t know that Chevvy knew anything more than he said he knew.
        Those are assumptions.

        I take folks at their word until they prove that they lie. Then I trust nothing that they say.
        Bettman knows more than any of us, he seemed to agree.
        Unless he is lying too.

        It seems logical that the 3 main guys that were fired wanted to sweep this away and keep it quiet. Perhaps they succeeded for a while?

      • Flying V, in my professional capacity I have been involved in a number of investigations about matters like this.

        Sometimes the allegations are well known; when so the accuracy can vary widely. Sometimes the allegations are kept to a small circle on a need to know basis. That is often appropriate as it protects the identity of the person who has raised the issue and spares them from unnecessary embarrassment.

        I don’t know the whole story. Neither do any of us here. Confidentiality is distinct from cluelessness. Don’t make the mistake of concluding who did and did not know, and who was involved in the cover up without facts. It makes for salacious musing, distinct from accuracy.

        Beach is the victim here; let’s not add others by sweeping speculation.

      • Of course Bettman is doing the same thing. He is just hoping this goes away.

        Bettman is just a tool for these owners to do whatever they need to do to put money in their pockets.

        Does Bettman lie? Hell ya, unless you believe some of the things he says like the Refs in the NHL are the best refs in the world, etc.

        He’ll lie all day long to protect his own job and keep money flowing into his pockets as well as the owners.

        He did absolutely nothing to the people who proved to be directly responsible and gave the Blackhawks a “contextual” slap on the wrist with less teeth that he gave for to Jersey and Arizona.

        Aloowing people to step down is just another cowardly way to prove you can not handle the situation head on. Allowing Quenneville to coach that game after what came out? Fehr still employed?

        Pathetic and embarrassing is just the start of it.

        Lehner is right, people need to grow a pair and start supporting the ones who need it instead of cow-towing to the real monsters.

      • One thing I noticed in the Cheveldayov scrum is that he and “articulate” do not belong together.

        Fumbling for words was the theme.

      • Flying V, I don’t get the point your trying to make with the tweet link. So the Hawks write “is gay” behind Pronger’s name in the dressing room means they are somehow OK with guys getting sexually assaulted?

        That “language” was normalized according to the tweet you reference from some random dude. Huh? An NHL team used the word gay behind an opponent’s name is an offence that deems them irredeemable?

        It means they like to pick on guys? Chris flippin’ Pronger? the meanest mother in the NHL for more than a decade? The guy that likely punched, slashed, cross checked, elbowed each of those guys every game for an entire series? That Pronger?

        Call me skeptical.

        Insensitive to gay people, OK give you that.
        I bet if I asked my cousin, who is gay, if he would be bothered by that and I am pretty sure he would look at me like I had 2 heads and then ask me if I was doing OK. The guy can chirp with the best of em, not much is out of bounds either.

        Twitter is a sewer.

      • I’m not a fan of Pronger but that is far from the point. The point is that the culture was to bully and not to support. That needs to change.

  3. Can the Habs just play the Wings every game?

    • Howard, the Habs cannot overcome a 2 – 8 start even with 72 games left. 71, I guess, if you count last night. Yes, let us enjoy individual games well played but the Habs are done. This is our winter of discontent.

    • As long as it is in Detroit so Bertuzzi can play, and especially after February when Vrana is scheduled to be back, then yes. It does look like Montreal is getting some revenge for the 2019/2020 season when the Wings swept them, and wished all their games were against Montreal.

  4. This might come as a shock to some, but last night I was pulling for the Leafs and glad to see them bury Vegas 4-0. The deeper the early hole for them the better.

    • Pulling for the leafs?…George…are you being held hostage and this is your way of telling us?

      • Heh. Well, as I tried to tell Me the other day, I don’t “hate” them – just usually don’t care one way or another – but over the years there have been times when I wouldn’t have minded seeing them win here and there (last night was one of them – privileged Vegas needs to be brought back to Earth) and, as per last season, actually go deep in the playoffs.

      • @George you should embrace the fact that you obviously dislike the leafs. It’s just sports/entertainment. I have friends who dislike the leafs and cheer for those despicable habs makes for a lot of fun. It’s obvious though George so I have no idea why you keep trying to deny it. I guarantee you pretty much every poster on here sees it. Nothing wrong with it so you really shouldn’t be so sensitive.

      • What the heck – I don’t deny that I am not a fan of the Leafs – I’ve said that frequently in here. What I object to is when someone uses the term “hater” – there’s a HUGE difference between “dislike” and “hate” – as I emphasized the other day.

      • George we all don’t care you’re a hater or not but it is obvious you are. For example if another team is failing at something or is not doing well, you try to drag the Leafs in it for some reason. It comes off sounding like you know better or more than the people who closely watch this team and knows more about them than causal fans and the talking heads. You do belittle fans, you cherry pick links and stats to “prove” your point.
        When you’re not out to make them or fans sound bad, you can make good points.
        There’s so much more to get into but haven’t got the time to write and then reply so I apologize for that.

      • All I’m doing is looking at the numbers, And – they – don’t – lie. And here you again with a litany of BS about things I’ve said and referred to without one single shred of direct evidence.

        Fans like you are THE main reason I take great delight in pointing out their flaws – and right now they are all related to the cap. If you can’t see that then it’s you who doesn’t know your butt from your elbow.

  5. I attended my first game since covid last night. My experience, well we left after the second period.

    I didn’t enjoy the atmosphere, the seats that are small and tight (never bother me before) the person to my left was bigger and less then an inch between.

    The seats beside my wife were empty until the second period, when a couple searching for better seats spotted them and occupied them.

    The gentleman had a beer (as i did also) but didn’t want to wear his mask (i wore mine, and pull it down to have a drink and then back up) after waiting about 10 minutes; I asked him to put his mask on, he complied and i thanked him.

    The atmosphere was different, the closeness, the masks, more and more double vaccinated people getting covid. Just wasn’t enjoying the game; which was also quite boring in the first two periods.

    Halfway thru the second we decided at then end of the second period we would leave.

    First time i’ve ever left a hockey game. There had to be over 3000 empty seats, i’m guessing people are just not ready.

    The arena itself lacked the usual high pitch energy and excitement.

    Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to attend a game and i didn’t know that. It will be awhile before I attend again.

  6. Musings

    I asked a friend of mine from China; if he was offended by the term Oriental; His reply laughter and why would i be offended? “oh my, society is getting weird” he said

    The jets iced the puck 3 times in the last minute of the 1st period and about 7 times in the period.

    Crazy thought your allowed to ice the puck 5 times per game including penalties, after that you receive a 2 minute minor for delay of game.

    Bill Guerin will be unemployed shortly.

    A lot of grand standing going on after Kyle Beach story. None of these people were out there supporting or pushing for Kyle until the investigation was done.

    I should said there was only one report who was pushing and the was the relentless Rick Westhead; whom another reporter pointed out during Bettman conference they didn’t go to him for a question yet.

    Without Rick investigating journalism i’m not sure if the Kyle Beach story gets the result it does.

    Yet with all the grand standing after the fact, it Rick name that is hardly mentioned.

    Now he is on the Pittsburgh scandal.

    I don’t think the Bruins have a very good team (more specific, defense isn’t good) and with Bergeron on the team; Sweeney won’t blow it up but instead do patchwork, get to the playoffs and see what happens.

    • @Bruins
      Would they even consider moving the captain to say Vegas? Bergeron on Vegas would cost less than Eichel and their chances in the west would be very good

    • Ya Caper stick tap to Westhead and investigative journalism.
      Re: Your Chinese buddy, so true. Many of my staff are minorities, close to 50%, Asian, black, Pakistan, India. They will all say the exact same thing you friend did if you took the time to ask them.
      All anyone wants is to simply be treated the same. I am old enough to remember when society being color blind was the goal. Race simply doesn’t matter where I work, or with my friends. Just isn’t a thing and ya we all say stupid sh*t sometimes.

      Been to one game, some empty seats, vibe was good, but so were the Oil, maybe that’s why.

      • Agree Ray; society would be such a better place if we judged people on their actions.

  7. My gut feeling is the Beach story is just the tip of the iceberg and once enough scapegoats are tarred with the label of being enabler it will go away.

    Hockey commentators and reporters are keeping it alive but otherwise the media has moved on.

    TSN commentators discussed it between periods, RDS didn’t mention it.

    As I pointed out yesterday, the Chicago Tribune has nothing on the front page and a sidebar in the Sports section.

    Predators manipulate everybody around them .

    • Agreed with all of this.

    • Yes Habs fan, I believe you are right, this is the tip of the iceberg. Abuse of many forms are going to surface, not only in the NHL but in all sports circles. And heads will role as cover-ups are exposed, as they must.

  8. “They also said Skalde remained in his job for an additional year until the team made staff reductions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/penguins-sexual-assault-scandal-explained-former-ahl-assistant-coach-wife-file-lawsuits-alleging-assault-retaliation/ar-AAQf7OY

    As stated in the article:
    “According to the lawsuit, he was the only member of the hockey operations staff (21 total employees) terminated.”

    Does anyone know if this part is true because if it is…

  9. DD is laying claim to be the anti-Lou and by dressing Niku and Pezetta who both had good games.

    The flow knows.

    • They and the Flames have been the two biggest pleasant surprises in the early going insofar as Canada-based teams are concerned