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Blackhawks to begin settlement talks with lawyer representing Brad Aldrich sexual assault victims next weekBen Popeon October 27, 2021 at 8:14 pm

Former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich assaulted a player during the 2010 playoffs, an investigation found. | Sun-Times file photo

Despite filing Tuesday new supports to their motions to dismiss two lawsuits, the Blackhawks seemingly intend to follow through on CEO Danny Wirtz’s call for a “fair resolution.”

Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz, discussing on Tuesday the condemnatory results of an investigation into the organization’s handling of a 2010 sexual assault, said he’d instructed Hawks lawyers to reach a “fair resolution” in two related lawsuits.

Hours later, facing coincidentally timed Tuesday court deadlines, Hawks lawyers nonetheless filed new documents supporting their already-pending motions to dismiss both lawsuits.

But the team insists those filings were simply legal requirements and they’ve already scheduled settlement talks with Susan Loggans, the lawyer representing the victims of former Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich.

“Consistent with Danny Wirtz’s public statement, Blackhawks litigation counsel reached out to Ms. Loggans yesterday to begin discussions, [and] a call is scheduled for early next week,” the Hawks said in a statement Wednesday to the Sun-Times.

“As to the filings yesterday, in compliance with the Court’s established briefing schedule, we filed our replies in support of our pending motions to dismiss in the ongoing lawsuit on yesterday’s deadline. Both cases remain pending, but we will engage in good faith efforts to fairly resolve these matters to rectify the harm John Does have suffered to the extent possible.”

The lawsuits pertain to former Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich. The first claims the Hawks negligently addressed Aldrich’s sexual assault of a Hawks prospect (identified as “John Doe 1”) during the 2010 playoffs. The second claims the Hawks helped Aldrich get a job at Houghton (Michigan) High School, where he later assaulted a 16-year-old (“John Doe 2”) in 2013.

The lawsuits’ filings this year helped bring the Aldrich allegations to light. The Jenner & Block investigation that concluded Tuesday, costing Hawks general manager Stan Bowman and executive Al MacIsaac their jobs, indeed concluded the Hawks covered up Aldrich’s behavior for three weeks to preserve “team chemistry” during the Stanley Cup Final — and during that time, Aldrich assaulted another team employee.

The Hawks’ Tuesday filings acknowledge receipt of the investigation report, but claim in footnotes it “actually strengthens [the Hawks’] statute of limitations defense” in the Doe 1 case and “strengthens [the Hawks’] defense that [they] did not provide a job recommendation to Houghton High School” in the Doe 2 case.

The new filing footnotes also include the following language, however, subtly hinting at the team’s shift away from endlessly battling the cases over legal technicalities in court.

“The overall conduct described is not acceptable to [the Hawks], and [the Hawks’] response to the alleged sexual misconduct did not live up to the team’s values or standards,” the filing states. “[The Hawks have] implemented organizational and administrative safeguards to ensure that these values and standards are observed.”