Around the NHL: And so it begins

[Der Jaeger]

Some of you used some words to describe the Blackhawks in this situation.

Here’s mine: evil

Blackhawks management put winning ahead of player safety. Evil.

How hard is it to suspend Aldrich until an investigation was completed? That’s literally all they had to do. Send him home, and begin an investigation. They could’ve even held the interviews until after the finals. Just get the alleged abuser away from the victim.

 

[Chainshot]

We don't know how Buffalo would have handled this nor do I think any of us want to find out.

 

[Montag DP]

Some of you used some words to describe the Blackhawks in this situation.

Here’s mine: evil

Blackhawks management put winning ahead of player safety. Evil.

How hard is it to suspend Aldrich until an investigation was completed? That’s literally all they had to do. Send him home, and begin an investigation. They could’ve even held the interviews until after the finals. Just get the alleged abuser away from the victim.

That does seem easy, but it's so much easier to just ignore uncomfortable things if you think you can do it without anyone else finding out. I'm not going to go into details other than to say it's not as extreme as the Blackhawks' case, but my wife dealt with an issue like this with a recent employer. She has since gone to the police and quit. The desire to sweep things like this under the rug is very strong, even for people who you think should know better. We'd all do well to keep this in mind lest we fall into the same trap.

 

[Zman5778]

We don't know how Buffalo would have handled this nor do I think any of us want to find out.

We already have a glimpse of it. Look at what the Bills did back in the very late 80s and early 90s. There were some real lowlifes on that team.

 

[Chainshot]

We already have a glimpse of it. Look at what the Bills did back in the very late 80s and early 90s. There were some real lowlifes on that team.

Referring to the Sabres or the Pegulas, we simply don't know. Nor do I think we want to find out.

 

[Der Jaeger]

That does seem easy, but it's so much easier to just ignore uncomfortable things if you think you can do it without anyone else finding out. I'm not going to go into details other than to say it's not as extreme as the Blackhawks' case, but my wife dealt with an issue like this with a recent employer. She has since gone to the police and quit. The desire to sweep things like this under the rug is very strong, even for people who you think should know better. We'd all do well to keep this in mind lest we fall into the same trap.

I’ve had Uniform Code of Military Justice authority for almost six years of my career as a commander. It takes moral courage to do what’s right, even when it’s hard.

I know first hand what it’s like to stop my organization, investigate, and report crimes. It’s not easy for the organization. But it must be done. Anything less is wrong and evil.

 

[joshjull]

Wonderful.

 

[joshjull]

We don't know how Buffalo would have handled this nor do I think any of us want to find out.

Wasn’t it inappropriate behavior that got Brandon and a few others fired.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Just to bring a bit of levity to today, because f*** the Hawks

 

[SundherDome]

Wonderful.

Also the state of the US the last few years.

 

[Chainshot]

U.S. Center for SafeSport opens investigation into Wild GM Guerin, source says - TSN.ca

I wouldn't expect Guerin to survive this either.

 

[Kevbeau]

U.S. Center for SafeSport opens investigation into Wild GM Guerin, source says - TSN.ca

I wouldn't expect Guerin to survive this either.

Hadn’t heard about that. If found to be true (Guerin’s role) he should be shown the door.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Hadn’t heard about that. If found to be true (Guerin’s role) he should be shown the door.

Unfortunately that story came out the same time as the Hawks story, so it flew under the radar.

 

[Buffaloed]

U.S. Center for SafeSport opens investigation into Wild GM Guerin, source says - TSN.ca

I wouldn't expect Guerin to survive this either.

Good thing the Sabres didn't hire him. Kim Pegula would call her team of investigators and if there was even a whiff of confirmation of these charges he'd be fired by tomorrow morning. She has zero tolerance for that kind of conduct. That's about the only thing I like about her.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Wasn’t it inappropriate behavior that got Brandon and a few others fired.

I had completely forgotten about that, but yeah. He "resigned" after the internal investigation was completed, and Kim took over. So that's some comfort to think that if a Sabres or Bills hire were accused of something heinous like that, the org would deal with it appropriately.

 

[GameMisconduct]

I’ve had Uniform Code of Military Justice authority for almost six years of my career as a commander. It takes moral courage to do what’s right, even when it’s hard.

I know first hand what it’s like to stop my organization, investigate, and report crimes. It’s not easy for the organization. But it must be done. Anything less is wrong and evil.

And it's the worst kind of wrongness..one where people suffer the consequences of others' failure to act. The chain of dominoes uncovered in this case are particularly sickening, but similarly nauseating is thinking about the high likelihood of similar incidents that have yet to come to light and even more so how the actions or lack thereof in these cases just discourages people who have suffered from pursuing them.

I've recently been speaking to someone dealing with an incident in this category and clearly being affected by it. And as much as I and some others have encouraged her to pursue something on the record, the individual thinks the impact of doing so is likely to be minor and it's not worth the personal cost. And as much as I understand their reasons for feeling like that and understand that it's their decision to make, it's also just so damn sad and discouraging.

 

[Montag DP]

And it's the worst kind of wrongness..one where people suffer the consequences of others' failure to act. The chain of dominoes uncovered in this case are particularly sickening, but similarly nauseating is thinking about the high likelihood of similar incidents that have yet to come to light and even more so how the actions or lack thereof in these cases just discourages people who have suffered from pursuing them.

I've recently been speaking to someone dealing with an incident in this category and clearly being affected by it. And as much as I and some others have encouraged her to pursue something on the record, the individual thinks the impact of doing so is likely to be minor and it's not worth the personal cost. And as much as I understand their reasons for feeling like that and understand that it's their decision to make, it's also just so damn sad and discouraging.

Yup. People who commit these kinds of crimes usually exhibit red flags for years. If everyone decides it's not a big enough deal to report, there won't ever be any record of it and someone or some people down the line will needlessly become victims.

 

[Buffaloed]

Yup. People who commit these kinds of crimes usually exhibit red flags for years. If everyone decides it's not a big enough deal to report, there won't ever be any record of it and someone or some people down the line will needlessly become victims.

Russ Brandon was hitting on the female employees for years:
You asked, we answered: Is Brandon's resignation tied to #MeToo?

Tim Graham: The inappropriate relationship that became the first domino in Brandon's downfall was one of the worst-kept secrets among the Bills and Sabres rank-and-file employees and prominent people within the local business community. I began hearing about it in early November. The relationship was considered consensual. So, to me, it was nothing more than gossip.

How long did the Pegulas know? I can't say for certain, but my information suggests maybe for a few weeks. That could be directly attributed to the fact the Pegulas live in Florida for tax/residency requirements and aren't in their Western New York offices every day. Employees have noted to me that they hope Kim Pegula's becoming president of the teams will mean she's around more.

Brandon's departure should encourage PSE, Bills and Sabres employees that such behavior won't stand. As one source with knowledge of the investigation told me as the news broke, employees will be "ecstatic" something finally was done about an issue considered common knowledge within the offices.

Brandon has been too brazen about his relationships for complete secrecy to be realistic. We in the media, however, must be judicious in vetting every detail. And not every tawdry detail is newsworthy, despite the number of clicks it could generate.

I don't think Graham grasped, at least at the time he wrote this, that it isn't consensual when the boss has serial relationships with employees.

 

[kirby11]

Montreal looks baaaad

 

[Chainshot]

Montreal looks baaaad

They are missing their #1C, D, and G from last season. But if they'd have them all back, it would likely still be a bad team. Bergeron has to be on his last legs.

 

[Zach716]

They are missing their #1C, D, and G from last season. But if they'd have them all back, it would likely still be a bad team. Bergeron has to be on his last legs.

Their issue is their archaic ownership's way of thinking that only French speaking people should be put into coaching/gm roles in that organization. It makes a small subset of competent available people even smaller. There's a poll on their subforum and most of them don't even care personally about it.

 

[joshjull]

What a wild end to the Ducks/Jets game

 

[joshjull]

What a wild end to the Ducks/Jets game

 

[tsujimoto74]

That 1st goal was brutal. No NHL goalie should be letting anyone score from that angle.

 

[Chainshot]

That 1st goal was brutal. No NHL goalie should be letting anyone score from that angle.

I remember Drury going to that spot above the goalie's shoulder from down there a few times years ago. But yeah, that shouldn't be a thing at this level.