No discipline for former assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff in Chicago investigation
The NHL is opting to not discipline former Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff for his role in sexual assault allegations levied against then-video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.
In a statement released Friday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who met with Cheveldayoff a day prior, said the GM’s role was “extremely limited in scope and substance.”
“While on some level, it would be easiest to paint everyone with any association to this terrible matter with the same broad brush, I believe that fundamental fairness requires a more in-depth analysis of the role of each person,” Bettman said. “Kevin Cheveldayoff was not a member of the Blackhawks senior leadership team in 2010, and I cannot, therefore, assign to him responsibility for the Club’s actions, or inactions. He provided a full account of his degree of involvement in the matter, which was limited exclusively to his attendance at a single meeting, and I found him to be extremely forthcoming and credible in our discussion.”
The NHL said over the course of the investigation, most participants in a May 23 meeting didn’t recall if Cheveldayoff was even present. He was, according to the NHL, the lowest ranking club official in the room and his role as an assistant general manager at the time included no oversight responsibilities over Chicago’s coaching staff.
“He was among the last to be included in the meeting; he was learning of the subject matter for the first time in the presence of his boss (then-GM Stan Bowman), his boss’ boss (then-CEO John McDonough) and the Head Coach (Joel Quenneville), who was Brad Aldrich’s direct superior,” the league said in a statement. “(Cheveldayoff) had limited familiarity with the personnel involved; and he was essentially an observer to the discussion of possible next steps, which discussion, apparently, ended with Cheveldayoff believing that the matter was going to be investigated.”
The NHL also said while he didn’t have the authority to make organizational decisions in regards to the incident, thereafter he was also not in a position to “have sufficient information to assess whether or not the matter was being adequately addressed by the Blackhawks.”
This past July, Cheveldayoff denied having any knowledge of the allegations — a statement that contradicts what law firm Jenner & Block found in their investigation.
Cheveldayoff told Jenner & Block he recalled a meeting in then- CEO John McDonough’s office and that he “believed at the time the allegations were serious.”
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.