NHL Reinstates Joel Quenneville, Two Executives Implicated in 2010 Blackhawks Scandal

The three figures each served bans for mishandling center Kyle Beach's allegations toward video coach Brad Aldrich.

Oct 27, 2021; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville stands behind the bench during the first period between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins at FLA Live Arena. / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The NHL announced Monday the reinstatement of former Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman, former Blackhawks senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and former Chicago coach Joel Quenneville. All three were banned from hockey in 2021 in the wake of an abuse scandal surrounding the Blackhawks.

"Each of these three individuals... has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership," the league said in a statement.

In '21, former Chicago center Kyle Beach accused the team's former video coach, Brad Aldrich, of sexually assaulting him in 2010. He sued the Blackhawks for allegedly improperly handling his complaint—litigation Chicago later settled.

An independent investigation into the accusation found Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville all knew of Aldrich's alleged abuse but responded inadequately. Both Bowman and MacIssac resigned from their positions with the Blackhawks, while Quenneville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers.