Knights’ Lehner disappointed in union’s actions in assault inquiry

Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner said Friday helium was unhappy with however the NHL Players Association handled intersexual battle allegations against a erstwhile Chicago Blackhawks video manager successful 2010.

“There’s a batch of things I tin say, but radical should person a hard clip sleeping astatine night,” Lehner said. “I’m not going to accidental thing astir the NHL. I’m mostly disappointed successful our union.”

The coach, Brad Aldrich, has been accused of sexually assaulting taxi squad subordinate Kyle Beach successful May 2010. A suit by Beach led to an autarkic investigation that recovered the Blackhawks mishandled the allegations, resulting successful the resignations of wide manager Stan Bowman, elder vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac and manager Joel Quenneville, who was with the Florida Panthers.

Lehner reached retired to Beach aft helium revealed his individuality successful a TSN interrogation Wednesday, a time aft the investigation’s results were released. Lehner thanked Beach for his courageousness connected Twitter connected Thursday and said the 2 had “a truly affectional talk.” Beach responded to Lehner “Yourself and galore others, gave maine the spot to talk my truth!”

Thank you @RobinLehner for reaching retired and taking the clip to person specified a heavy affectional speech with me! Yourself and galore others, gave maine the spot to talk my truth!

— Kyle Beach (@KBeachy12) October 29, 2021

“I talked to him for rather immoderate time,” Lehner said. “I’m devastated for him. I consciousness for him. Incredible bravery what he’s done.”

Beach, who was not a dues-paying NHLPA subordinate astatine the clip of his alleged assault, said during his TSN interrogation helium reported “every azygous detail” of his communicative to an idiosyncratic astatine the union. He said helium believes 2 antithetic radical talked to NHLPA enforcement manager Donald Fehr.

“For him to crook his backmost connected the players erstwhile his 1 occupation is to support the players astatine each costs, I don’t cognize however that tin beryllium your leader,” Beach said to TSN. “I don’t cognize however helium tin beryllium successful charge.”

Fehr joined the NHLPA connected Dec. 18, 2010, aft the alleged incidental betwixt Aldrich and Beach took place. The probe states Fehr was contacted by a “confidant” and “professional acquaintance” of Beach’s separately successful his archetypal twelvemonth connected the occupation but does not accidental if helium knew of the nonstop quality of the allegations. Fehr apologized to Beach successful a connection Wednesday.

“Kyle Beach has been done a horrific acquisition and has shown existent courageousness successful telling his story,” Fehr said. “There is nary uncertainty that the strategy failed to enactment him successful his clip of need, and we are portion of that system.

“In his media interview, Mr. Beach stated that respective months aft the incidental helium told idiosyncratic astatine the NHLPA the details of what happened to him. He is referring to 1 of the programme doctors with the NHL/NHLPA subordinate assistance program. While this programme is confidential betwixt players and the doctors, the sedate quality of this incidental should person resulted successful further enactment connected our part. The information that it did not was a superior failure. I americium genuinely sorry, and I americium committed to making changes to guarantee it does not hap again.”

Lehner is not the lone 1 with questions astir the NHLPA’s handling of the allegations. Daily Faceoff reported Friday “internal enactment for Fehr among NHLPA unit has waned” aft the probe was released. The national volition clasp an enforcement committee gathering with the 32 squad representatives Monday, according to aggregate reports.

“I cognize however it is to spell done immoderate worldly unsocial and helium had to spell done immoderate worldly for 9 years oregon much alone,” said Lehner, who has been unfastened astir his struggles with intelligence unwellness and substance abuse. “When our national knew. And got nary assistance astatine all. So it was a precise affectional thing. I couldn’t slumber that nighttime and I anticipation everyone takes a look successful the reflector and we hole it truthful this ne'er happens again.”

Contact Ben Gotz astatine bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz connected Twitter.