League says no to covering counselling costs for John Doe 2 in Blackhawks lawsuit

When NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman held a news conference on November 1st to discuss the lawsuit against the Chicago Blackhawks regarding video coach Brad Aldrich, he was asked about covering the cost of counselling for "John Doe 2". At the time, Bettman wouldn't make a commitment, saying the league needed to look into it further. It appears the NHL has done that, and decided the answer is no.

"The NHL has informed a lawyer for "John Doe 2" that the league will not cover costs of counselling/therapy for him and his family," said TSN's Rick Westhead.
"An NHL employee wrote in an email the league will leave that matter for the Blackhawks to manage, JD2's lawyer said."

John Doe 2 was sexually assaulted by Aldrich after he left the Blackhawks following the team's Stanley Cup win. He is suing the team for allegedly providing Aldrich with a letter of recommendation despite the allegations made by Kyle Beach that Aldrich had assaulted him. However, the investigation ruled that there was no evidence the letter existed and Chicago asked that the claim be dropped from the suit. After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich landed a job in Michigan, where the assault on John Doe 2 took place. Alrich was convicted of that assault and is a registered sex offender in Michigan as a result.

So, the question becomes, should the NHL pay for the counselling or is that the responsibility of the Blackhawks for providing Aldrich with a letter of recommendation in the first place?

"Important perspective: An NHL exec reminded me over the weekend that while Gary Bettman is the face of the NHL, he works for the league's 32 team owners.
They share joint accountability in how the NHL responds to scandals including sexual abuse," said Westhead on the subject.

Important perspective: An NHL exec reminded me over the weekend that while Gary Bettman is the face of the NHL, he works for the league's 32 team owners.
They share joint accountability in how the NHL responds to scandals including sexual abuse.— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) November 9, 2021

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