Helen ZhangDuring their historic Stanley Cup run, the Oilers brought Edmonton to life — a seemingly impossible achievement. Lifelong fans and bandwagoners alike poured into the streets of downtown Edmonton to support the team. Even though we lost the series, I can’t remember a time that the Oilers were this beloved by the city. It’s pretty shocking that just one month later, the Oilers decided to trade this newfound praise and admiration for Stan Bowman.
Fans have rightfully criticized the Oilers for hiring Bowman as their eleventh General Manager (GM). Bowman previously resigned from his position as the GM of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021 following his involvement in the Blackhawks’ sexual assault scandal. The National Hockey League (NHL) also banned Bowman from working for the league for two years. As a result of this scandal, fans have become increasingly concerned about wanting to change the culture of hockey. Thus, the decision to hire Bowman is a complete disaster for the Oilers’ public image.
In 2021, Kyle Beach anonymously filed a lawsuit against the Blackhawks. He alleged that the organization failed to take sufficient action when he reported being sexually assaulted by Brad Aldrich, a former video coach for the team, in 2010. At the centre of the lawsuit was Bowman’s lack of action to protect players and take the allegations seriously.
An investigation conducted by Jenner & Block found that Bowman had met with members of the Blackhawks organization to discuss the allegations in May 2010. However, Bowman took no action against Aldrich until after the Blackhawks had won the 2010 Stanley Cup in June. Then, the Blackhawks gave Aldrich the opportunity to quietly resign without facing an investigation. Under Bowman’s management, the Blackhawks not only effectively covered up Aldrich’s crimes, but continued to embrace him. Despite his resignation and the allegations against him, Aldrich was permitted to celebrate the Stanley Cup win with the team.
In an interview with Rick Westhead, Beach stated that after he reported Aldrich, “it was like his life was the same as the day before. Same every day. And then when they won, to see him paraded around lifting the Cup, at the parade, at the team pictures, at celebrations, it made me feel like nothing. It made me feel like I didn’t exist.”
Bowman and any other Blackhawks executive cannot excuse this 11-year-long sexual assault cover-up as careless management. It’s clear that Bowman and the Blackhawks organization prioritized their Stanley Cup win over the well-being of their players. A sexual assault allegation was simply an inconvenience that they needed to sweep under the rug. Do the Oilers really want a GM who has exhibited no regard for the safety of his own players?
Not only did the Blackhawks fail to complete their own investigation, they also did not file a police report. The inaction from Bowman allowed Aldrich’s abuse to continue. Aldrich went on to volunteer at Houghton High School in Michigan, where he eventually pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a minor in 2013.
The Oilers and the NHL knew that people would not be ready to forgive Bowman. It’s no coincidence that the league announced it was reinstating Bowman in the middle of free-agent frenzy. The news was likely to be buried from the feeds of hockey fans under the announcements of other signings.
Following Bowman’s reinstatement, speculation grew around the Oilers potentially hiring him. Immediately, fans expressed their concerns and created petitions in protest. It’s disappointing that the Oilers ignored fans and took on Bowman and the media circus that comes along with him.
Sexual assault cover-ups are nothing new to hockey. Take for example the 2018 World Junior Scandal. Hockey Canada’s mishandling of the sexual assault allegations against its players appalled the nation. The NHL talks about wanting to change the culture surrounding hockey, but its “Hockey is for Everyone” campaign starts to feel a bit shallow when the punishment for a decade long cover-up of a sexual assault allegation is a two-year break from making millions of dollars. And the Oilers are only enabling this dismissive culture around sexual assault by hiring Bowman.
After intense media scrutiny, I do think that Bowman is remorseful for his actions. However, this should not entitle him to return to a position of power where he has previously failed horribly. Now that he is here, he must commit to addressing the issues of abuse that plague hockey — vague statements and empty promises will not suffice. Bowman could step up and create real change in Edmonton. However, unless he fully embraces this opportunity, hiring him only stunts any progress towards creating a better culture around hockey.
