NHL Fails Players and Fans Again With Latest Reinstatements

The NHL made a terrible decision to reinstate several coaches and executives following a multi-year suspension.

Jun 11, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is interviewed during media day in preparation for game one of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports / Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The NHL is an owner-first, player-last league. They show it when they don't protect players on the ice and allow concussion-causing hits to go unpunished. They show it through their revenue split with the players. And they show it through the way the league's executive system runs.

The NHL is run by an old boy's club and it operates accordingly. Traditions trump reason and logic in favor of maintaining the "integrity" of the sport.

But the most egregious is how important relationships rule in the NHL. Nepotism, favoritism, and having a connection are constants in this league, whether you're a player, coach, or executive. They're so important, that they can get you reinstated after being part of one of the worst scandals in NHL history.

Yet, Stan Bowman, son of coaching legend Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, and Al MacIsaac are all allowed to seek employment in the NHL again after a three-year suspension. The league announced the news with an accompanying press release. In their statement, the league made it clear that they believe these three have gone above and beyond to earn this second chance.

"While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, 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 their statement. “The League expects that they will continue this commitment in any future capacity with the NHL and/or one of our Clubs.”

This would be a wonderful statement if the issue at the center of this was something menial or victimless. That wasn't the case with the incident that resulted in these three being barred from employment in the NHL since 2021.

In 2010, a Chicago Blackhawks player was assaulted by a staff member. It was reported to the appropriate leaders, who consequently did nothing after knowing a predatory employee was working in their locker room. Instead, the team buried the problem, forced the victim into shame and silence, and pursued a championship.

It would also be an understandable response if any of these men attempted to help in 2010. Where was the awareness the league cites when they were leading the Blackhawks? Where was the commitment to player safety when one of their million-dollar athletes reported the crime to management, only to have it swept under the rug for more than a decade? These three, among many other complicit parties, cowered, clung to the comfort of their old boys' club and locker room rules, and participated in the victimization of someone they were responsible for leading and guiding.

It would also make sense if any of these men showed remorse or made amends in the time since. When the news broke in 2021 of this scandal, all three took the easy way out. The Blackhawks allowed Bowman to resign and save face. The Florida Panthers, who employed Quenneville at the time, allowed him to resign as well. The three quietly went away while the NHL tried its best to help everyone forget. They've been off the radar since their disgraceful exits from the league, but their mere existence over the past few years is enough to demonstrate substantial change to Gary Bettman and the Board of Governors.

Three years later, the NHL continues failing their players and staff members. They had a chance to stand by the players and their well-being. They could have easily banned these three for life, and the league would go on, completely unchanged and for the better.

The league opted for the worst possible option instead. They are sending a crystal clear message that actions have consequences, but only slightly. You can turn a blind eye to heinous acts if you help a team win. If you are a part of the ole boys' club, you get a free pass. And now, three men who actively made their teams, locker rooms, and the NHL more dangerous spaces have been reinstated by a governing body that has no concern for its athletes if it's not on the ice.

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