Blackhawks file motion to dismiss lawsuit from Michigan high schooler assaulted by Bradley AldrichBen Popeon July 9, 2021 at 10:45 pm

The Blackhawks filed Friday a motion to dismiss the negligence lawsuit filed against them by the Michigan high school hockey player who was sexually assaulted by former Hawks video coach Bradley Aldrich in 2013.

The Hawks now have motions to dismiss pending in both lawsuits against them, having filed such a motion June 14 in the lawsuit filed by the former Hawks player (identified as “John Doe 1”) alleging Aldrich sexually assaulted him in 2010.

In Friday’s motion, obtained by the Sun-Times, the Hawks argue the unnamed high schooler has “no basis to sue [the Hawks] for the criminal act committed by Aldrich years after he was employed [by the Hawks].” The high schooler — who was 16 years old at the time, per Michigan police documents, but is now an adult — is identified as “John Doe 2” in court documents.

The motion presents two main arguments. First, the Hawks argue they “under Illinois law…[have] no duty to protect an individual from the criminal acts of a third party,” given they neither knew Doe 2 nor employed Aldrich at the time.

Second, the Hawks argue the claim in the original lawsuit that they provided “positive references to future employers of Aldrich” is “vague and factually unsupported.” They also argue the lawsuit’s lack of allegation claiming they provided positive reference specifically to Houghton High School is a “fatal omission,” rendering irrelevant any arguments about whether they provided positive references to other employers.

Aldrich, who left the Hawks after the 2010 Stanley Cup and was a volunteer assistant coach for the Houghton (Michigan) High School boy’s hockey team in 2013, pled guilty that year to assaulting Doe 2 and served nine months in prison.

Doe 2 claimed Aldrich climbed into bed with, sexually touched and performed oral sex on him and also forced him to sexually touch Aldrich, despite his frequent objections, according to Michigan police documents.

The Hawks had requested a time extension in these legal proceedings in June and were given a Friday deadline to file.

The arguments in this motion to dismiss differ from those in the motion to dismiss the lawsuit from the former Hawks player. That motion argued the statute of limitations expired before the lawsuit was filed and that the player did not exhaust other legal remedies before suing.

Aldrich resigned from a brief job with the Miami (Ohio) University men’s hockey team in 2012 after two separate incidents of alleged sexual assault, WBEZ Chicago reported Friday. The university is currently conducting an internal investigation.

The Blackhawks have hired the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block to investigate the claims that Aldrich assaulted two Hawks players in 2010, that Hawks management refused to report the alleged incident to police and that the Hawks provided Aldrich the positive references.

But Susan Loggans, the lawyer representing both the ex-Hawks player as well as Doe 2, told TSN on Friday that she and her clients would not participate in the investigation because the Hawks and NHL paid for it and have not promised to publicly release its findings.

Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in an internal memo June 28 that the Hawks will “refrain from further comment” on the matter until the lawsuits and investigation conclude, but general manager Stan Bowman — one of the people allegedly involved in the 2010 managerial cover-up — will be expected to face the press ahead of the NHL expansion and entry drafts later this month.

Blackhawks file motion to dismiss lawsuit from Michigan high schooler assaulted by Bradley AldrichBen Popeon July 9, 2021 at 10:45 pm Read More »

Masks no longer required for Illinois’ vaccinated students, teachers as state adopts new CDC guidanceNader Issaon July 9, 2021 at 10:50 pm

Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside Illinois school buildings this fall, state officials announced Friday soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines for schools, while Chicago leaders are still deciding whether they’ll follow suit.

The changes come amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, but also as parents worry with uncertainty about their younger kids who haven’t yet been approved for vaccines.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said the updated federal guidelines represent the latest available scientific information for keeping students and staff safe.

“The CDC is right: vaccination is the best preventive strategy. As school board members, parents, teachers and superintendents plan for a return to in-person learning in the fall, we strongly encourage those who are not vaccinated to continue to mask,” Ezike said in a statement.

State Supt. of Education Carmen Ayala, who has mandated a return to classrooms next school year, said she is “fully confident in the safety of in-person learning this fall.”

CPS leaves door open

Federal and state officials left room for school districts to set their own standards. Chicago schools and health officials said they’d continue reviewing their plans for the fall but were “encouraged by [the] flexibility” of the new recommendations, leaving the door open to a lax masking policy when Chicago Public Schools buildings reopen for full-time in-person learning in late August.

The Chicago Teachers Union, which this week laid out its proposal for the fall return that included an 80% student vaccination goal, said the updated guidance “triggers more questions than answers.”

“Our Black and Brown school communities lie in neighborhoods that have struggled to access vaccinations, at the same time that those neighborhoods have been disproportionately hammered by COVID,” union leadership wrote in a statement.

“While we support the goal of returning every student safely to in-person learning this fall, we are concerned that the vast majority of our students, both under 12 and those 12 and up eligible for shots, remain unvaccinated and vulnerable to catching and transmitting COVID-19, even as the Delta variant continues to spread.”

Meanwhile, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the CTU’s parent union, said “today’s guidance is grounded in both science and common sense” and encouraged widespread vaccinations.

CPS does not have data on how many of its students are vaccinated, but officials plan to ask students’ statuses when they return to schools late next month.

While there has been a significant nationwide decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in recent months, youth inoculations have lagged and it isn’t clear when vaccines will be available for younger children. Families with siblings of different ages have particularly struggled to plan, and the nation’s top public health agency is not advising schools to require shots for teachers and vaccine-eligible kids.

Most youth in Chicago not vaccinated

About 43% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the city — including private school students — have received at least one dose of the vaccine, officials said, meaning the vast majority of all school-aged kids have not gotten a shot. At just public schools, more than two-thirds of CPS’ 340,000 students attend preschool through 8th grade, with the majority of those children under 12 and not eligible for the vaccine.

That’s probably going to make for some challenging school environments, said Elizabeth Stuart, a John Hopkins University public health professor who has children in elementary and middle schools.

“It would be a very weird dynamic, socially, to have some kids wearing masks and some not. And tracking that? Teachers shouldn’t need to be keeping track of which kids should have masks on,” she said.

In Chicago, the district plans to launch running vaccination sites for students and their families next week. Though the city still has its lowest COVID-19 rates and casualties since widespread testing became available last year, infections have been rising the past couple weeks as new vaccinations wane. And the district has a tough task this summer reconnecting with the 75% of CPS students who didn’t return to in-person learning in the spring.

The CDC also said schools should continue to space kids — and their desks — 3 feet apart in classrooms. But the agency emphasized that spacing should not be an obstacle to getting kids back in schools and would not required among fully vaccinated students or staff.

CPS kept its 6-foot spacing requirement when federal and state officials lowered their guidance to 3 feet last school year, but in an email to parents this week the district appeared open to a change. At many cramped CPS schools it might be impossible to fully reopen with farther social distancing requirements.

The biggest questions will be at middle schools where some students are eligible for shots and others aren’t.

In Detroit’s public schools, everyone will be required to wear a mask unless everyone in the classroom has been vaccinated. Philadelphia will require all public school students and staff to wear masks inside buildings, even if they have been vaccinated. But masks won’t be mandated in Houston schools.

As for vaccine mandates, the CDC has repeatedly praised such requirements, but the agency on Friday didn’t recommend that measure because it is considered a state and local policy decision, officials said.

Chicago’s Board of Education recently approved a measure that would allow CPS officials to require eligible students get a COVID-19 shot like other mandatory vaccinations, but the district has not yet implemented that mandate.

The new schools guidance says:

o No one at schools needs to wear masks at recess or in most other outdoor situations. However, unvaccinated people are advised to wear masks if they are in a crowd for an extended period of time, like in the stands at a football game.

o Ventilation and handwashing continue to be important. Students and staff also should stay home when they are sick.

o Testing remains an important way to prevent outbreaks. But the CDC also says people who are fully vaccinated do not need to participate in such screening.

o Separating students into smaller groups, or cohorts, continues to be a good way to help reduce spread of the virus. But the CDC discouraged putting vaccinated and unvaccinated kids in separate groups, saying schools shouldn’t stigmatize any group or perpetuate academic, racial or other tracking.

Contributing: Associated Press

Masks no longer required for Illinois’ vaccinated students, teachers as state adopts new CDC guidanceNader Issaon July 9, 2021 at 10:50 pm Read More »

American Freelancers Are Madder than Hell…on July 9, 2021 at 10:01 pm

Girl Born in ’51

American Freelancers Are Madder than Hell…

ChicagoNOW

American Freelancers Are Madder than Hell…on July 9, 2021 at 10:01 pm Read More »

Come on, man! Biden forgets the name of his HHS Secretary. Would you do this to your senile father? #3 – 07/09/21on July 9, 2021 at 10:13 pm

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Come on, man! Biden forgets the name of his HHS Secretary. Would you do this to your senile father? #3 – 07/09/21

Come on, man! Biden forgets the name of his HHS Secretary. Would you do this to your senile father? #3 – 07/09/21on July 9, 2021 at 10:13 pm Read More »

As top cop blames courts for violence, Foxx’s office says charges approved in 84% of July Fourth weekend casesMatthew Hendricksonon July 9, 2021 at 9:36 pm

The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said it approved felony charges in 84% of cases brought to its prosecutors for review by Chicago police over the July Fourth weekend.

Of the 122 cases police took to the state’s attorney’s Felony Review Unit between July 2 and July 5, prosecutors approved felony charges in 102 of the cases — mostly gun-related, data provided to the Chicago Sun-Times shows.

Of the cases for which charges were not approved for during the holiday weekend, 16 were rejected and four were sent back to police for further investigation.

The Felony Review Unit rejects charges due to lack of evidence, Foxx spokeswoman Sarah Sinovic said.

“We have to meet our burden of proof in a court of law,” Sinovic explained. “If we don’t feel there is enough evidence [that someone committed a crime] we can’t pursue it.”

Police Supt. David Brown on Tuesday pointed at the county’s justice system for last weekend’s violence, alleging the courts have been too lenient on those charged with crimes.

“Chicago police officers are doing their job by arresting people and charging them with murder,” Brown said. “That’s doing our part. And what’s happening in the courts, it’s creating this unsafe environment for all of us.”

State’s Attorney Kim Foxx later responded that day in a Tweet saying, “Finger-pointing instead of talking honestly about the violence plaguing our city doesn’t help bring solutions that make our communities safer. It starts with apprehending those who pull the trigger; police must make an arrest before a case reaches the courthouse door.”

In spite of Brown’s comment, in most violent crime cases where felony charges are sought, police do not charge suspects. Chicago police investigate and present their evidence to Foxx’s Felony Review Unit, which then approves or rejects the charges, or asks the police investigate further.

Last month, in an interview with the Chicago Defender, Foxx pointed to the police department’s 20% clearance rate in shooting cases to stress how her office can’t charge someone who hasn’t been caught.

Chicago police Friday didn’t respond to a request for comment on the state’s attorney’s office’s July Fourth data.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown speaks at a news conference following a violent Fourth of July weekend in the city.

Over the July Fourth weekend, the Felony Review Unit approved unlawful use of a weapon charges in 82 cases and rejected charges in eight others — a 91% approval rate.

Prosecutors also approved charges of aggravated battery with a firearm in two of three cases police brought to the state’s attorney’s office and approved a reckless discharge of a firearm charge in one case and rejected one in another.

Police also sought charges in five homicides during the holiday weekend — three of which were approved for murder and a fourth approved for an involuntary manslaughter charge, the state’s attorney’s office’s data showed. Prosecutors rejected charges in the fifth case.

More than 100 people were shot last weekend, marking it the most violent July Fourth weekend since 2017, although that year, the weekend tally included an additional day because the holiday fell on a Tuesday, according to data recorded by the Sun-Times.

Murders in Chicago last year increased by more than 50%, the Sun-Times reported, compared to a national increase of 30%.

As top cop blames courts for violence, Foxx’s office says charges approved in 84% of July Fourth weekend casesMatthew Hendricksonon July 9, 2021 at 9:36 pm Read More »

Attorney General sues Illinois chemical plant following massive explosion in RocktonManny Ramoson July 9, 2021 at 9:49 pm

The massive chemical plant near the Illinois-Wisconsin border that went up in flames last month is now being sued by Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley for posing a substantial danger to the environment and public health after its plant burned for several days.

The lawsuit comes nearly a month after the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency called on Attorney General Kwame Raoul to take legal action against the Chemtool Inc. plant which makes oil-based lubricants in Rockton — about 10 miles north of Rockford. On June 14, a fire broke out at the plant that caused several explosions with black smoke that could be seen for miles.

“The Chemtool fire rattled the community, displaced residents, and took the combined resources and efforts of several fire departments to get under control,” Raoul said in a statement Friday. “Although the flames have been extinguished, the hazard posed to the public and the environment continues, and Chemtool owes the community more information.”

The lawsuit accuses Chemtool of polluting the air, unauthorized waste disposal and creating a water pollution hazard. Raoul and Hanley argue that “Chemtool is liable for damages and for the costs the state and Winnebago County have incurred in responding” to the chemical disaster.

It also seeks for Chemtool to assess the extent of the environmental contamination caused by the explosions and for them to take corrective actions that polluted the air, water and land.

The massive explosion forced the evacuations of residents and businesses within a 1-mile radius of the facility, and those within a 3-mile radius of the explosion were told to wear a mask. Several fire departments from Illinois and Wisconsin responded to the fire

The Rockton plant manufactures grease, lubricant oil and fluids and had stored more than four million gallons of crude oil at the facility, according to the Attorney General’s office. Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has warned that the crude oil stored in the destroyed chemical plant poses a significant threat to the Rock River which is only about 700 feet away.

The lawsuit also said the facility still has four storage containers that are holding 100,000 gallons of petroleum product which have been “compromised by the fire” and “pose a significant threat to the land” and nearby river.

“The catastrophic fire at the Chemtool facility resulted in significant impacts on local residents and the surrounding community,” said Illinois EPA Director John Kim. “The action taken today by the Attorney General’s office is an important step to ensure that the company is held responsible for the effects of the fire, which include conducting a thorough investigation and proper remediation.”

Alicia Gauer, a spokeswoman for Chemtool, didn’t answer questions about the lawsuit but insisted the company will continue to work with regulators.

“We remain devastated by the fire at our Rockton Chemtool site and the impact on the local community,” Gauer said. “Throughout this event, we have been working with state and federal regulators to address their concerns and the needs of residents and will continue to do so.”

Attorney General sues Illinois chemical plant following massive explosion in RocktonManny Ramoson July 9, 2021 at 9:49 pm Read More »

Afternoon Edition: July 9, 2021Matt Mooreon July 9, 2021 at 8:00 pm

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

Afternoon Edition

Chicago’s most important news of the day, delivered every weekday afternoon. Plus, a bonus issue on Saturdays that dives into the city’s storied history.

This afternoon will be sunny with a high near 75 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low around 64. Tomorrow there will be partly sunny with a chance of showers and a high near 77.

Suspect who escaped electronic monitoring killed in standoff with Chicago police, federal marshals and sheriff’s deputies

Three Chicago cops and a federal marshal opened fire while serving an arrest warrant in West Garfield Park this morning, killing a man who was facing more than a dozen counts of aggravated sex assault and had cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet.

The suspect, 33, was in a black Jeep when he was confronted by federal marshals and Cook County sheriff’s deputies around 9:40 a.m. in the 100 block of South Kilpatrick Avenue, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown told reporters.

They approached the Jeep and ordered the man to get out, but he refused, Brown said. They then called for help from Chicago police.

The suspect displayed a gun and three police officers and a marshal opened fire, Brown said. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

A handgun was recovered at the scene, police said. Brown said it was unclear if the man had fired shots at the officers.

No officers were shot, but five police officers were taken to hospitals for evaluation, he said. Brown did not elaborate.

The suspect was wanted on 15 counts of aggravated sex assault with a firearm, and had violated his electronic home monitoring by cutting off the bracelet, Brown said. A warrant for his arrest was filed on Dec. 4, he said.

David Struett has more on the developing story here.

More news you need

The body of a Loyola University grad from Chicago has been recovered from the rubble of the Surfside condominium tower in Florida, authorities said. When the building crumbled, Juan Mora Jr., 32, had been staying with his parents, who are still unaccounted for.
Asian American history will soon be woven into public school studies across Illinois under a bill signed into law by Gov. Pritzker today. It’s a move he said sets a “new standard for what it means to truly reckon with our history.”
Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside Illinois schools this fall, officials announced today after the CDC relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines for education facilities. Nader Issa, with help from AP, has the latest on how schools plan to handle bringing back students later this year.
Pritzker yesterday said he would ban local jails from detaining people facing deportation by signing the Illinois Way Forward Act into law. He spoke to a crowd of about 500 outside during a downtown rally organized to push Illinois leaders to support immigration legislation.
Target won’t be coming to Water Tower Place anytime soon after an alderman said today the company’s no longer considering leasing the former Macy’s space. The prospect drew debate over whether a discount retailer was suitable for a historically high-end mall.
The owner of car-shredder General Iron has filed another complaint against the city — this time in state court — after a federal judge tossed out a similar lawsuit last month. The suit aims to force the city to issue a final permit for a new scrap-metal operation and seeks more than $100 million in damages due to the delay.
West Side faith leaders gathered yesterday on the corner where a CPD commander was recently shot and urged religious institutions — including their own — to do more to stop gun violence. Rev. Marshall Hatch said it is time for political leaders, CPD’s top brass and the courts to accept some responsibility and realize what they’ve been doing has been ineffective.
The city today launched its “Summer Kickback Series,” a $1.3 million program aiming to create safe spaces and programs for youth on the South and West sides. Community groups will hire young people to promote and host youth-focused activities and vaccine advocacy initiatives during a nine-week period.

A bright one

Humboldt Park murals might be the city’s oldest, but their messages remain relevant

Humboldt Park claims a distinction that no other urban neighborhood shares: It is believed to be home to the oldest surviving outdoor community murals in the nation.

The three murals date to 1971, during the early years of the Chicago-born contemporary or community mural movement, which had been launched in 1967 with the creation of the “Wall of Respect” in Bronzeville by a group of Black artists and activists. The movement soon spread across the country.

As they mark their 50th anniversary, these classic Humboldt Park/West Town street murals resist being labeled aging relics from a bygone activist era.

Though they largely depict events and issues that were current at the time, the murals remain relevant, reflecting the hopes, struggles, heritage and resistance of the Puerto Rican community — and of the community at large.

“They speak to issues that impacted directly on the community, like housing, police brutality — all the issues that we continue to address today,” says Jose Lopez, executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.

Jeff W. Huebner has the full story behind the murals here.

From the press box

Your daily question ?

How would you describe deep dish pizza to someone who’s never had it before?

Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: If you could have had a brief one-on-one with President Biden, what would you have talked to him about? Here’s some of what you said…

“I would thank him for the job he has done so far and wish him well in the future. I would ask for help for our seniors and our education throughout our land for our children. I would also hope that he will bring all the guilty people in the Jan. 6 assault to justice including the instigator of this heinous crime. Our Capital Police deserve justice too!” — Joni Moore-Dougherty

“All the campaign promises he made and hasn’t kept.” — Niki Brown

“To make sure Trump and his administration are fully investigated and held accountable for any and all illegal activity while he was president. Don’t. Be. Weak.” — Bill Slayton

“I would have thanked him for coming to McHenry County. Also thanked him for praising Rep. Lauren Underwood — the freshman that initiated and passed multiple pieces of legislation! Joe needs to stump for all of the Dems, and he is still good at it. Yes, the losers were out yesterday. Remember: there are more of us, than there are of them!” — Pete Culver

“I would have urged him to do everything in his power to pass and sign the two very important voting rights bills that are currently stalled in the Senate.” — Christopher B. Alexandrov

“I’d ask him what his concrete student debt plans are, and how he plans to execute more progressive policies in a bi-partisan government. What will he compromise on, how can he bring people to the table?” — Connor Blackwood

“Guns and immigration.” — Diane Oconnor

“I would have told him he needs to do more for those of us who are still struggling since getting COVID-19 back in 2020. Many of us are still battling the after-effects of Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19. We need proper treatment for all of us to get better physically and financially, as many of us can’t work anymore.” — Monica Christophe

“That more needs to be done for low-wage working adults and for safety issues at a job.” — Andrew Ritterman

“Educational issues. Teaching science as a mandatory class or classes. Withholding money from states if science isn’t taught, alone with real American history.” — Sabrina M. Holiday

“Where the f— are my stimulus checks?” — Pablo G Negron

“A job for my granddaughter.” — Stella Black

“I would tell him to get rid of the Postmaster General before it’s too late.” — Ronald Pasko

“What kind of ice cream did you have for breakfast?” — Don James

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

Afternoon Edition: July 9, 2021Matt Mooreon July 9, 2021 at 8:00 pm Read More »

Chance the Rapper reveals ‘Magnificent Coloring Book’ trailer, film’s release date announcedMiriam Di Nunzioon July 9, 2021 at 8:04 pm

Chance the Rapper on Friday released the official trailer for his upcoming concert film “Magnificent Coloring World.” Also announced is the Aug. 13 release date at select AMC theater locations, including Chicago venues.

Tickets for the film, directed by Jake Shreier and released via Chance’s House of Kick’s “creative pod” umbrella, go on a special pre-sale July 16. Information will be available at https://www.chanceraps.com/.

“Seeing movies together on the big screen is an essential part of summertime and something I deeply missed over the last year, so I am extremely excited and honored to partner with AMC to safely bring fans back to the theater,” Chance The Rapper said in May when the film enjoyed an advance screening in Chicago.

The movie was filmed in 2017 following the singer’s history-making Grammy win for best rap album for “Coloring Book,” the first time the honor went to a streamed-only album. Chance picked up three Grammys in all for his work featured on the album, including best new artist and best rap performance for “No Problem” with 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne.

Chance the Rapper reveals ‘Magnificent Coloring Book’ trailer, film’s release date announcedMiriam Di Nunzioon July 9, 2021 at 8:04 pm Read More »

Teen fatally shot in EnglewoodMohammad Samraon July 9, 2021 at 8:15 pm

A teenager was fatally shot Friday afternoon in Englewood on the South Side, Chicago police said.

The 19-year-old man was in the street around 1:16 p.m. in the 6600 Block of South Normal Avenue when a vehicle approached and the shooter stepped out and fired, according to police.

The man suffered a gunshot wound to his back and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died, police said. His name hasn’t been released.

Police reported no arrests.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

Teen fatally shot in EnglewoodMohammad Samraon July 9, 2021 at 8:15 pm Read More »

Former NHL defenseman Bryan ‘Bugsy’ Watson dies at 78Stephen Whyno | Associated Presson July 9, 2021 at 8:18 pm

Former NHL defenseman Bryan “Bugsy” Watson, who played for Scotty Bowman, with Doug Harvey and coached Wayne Gretzky during his time in hockey, has died. He was 78.

A Washington Capitals spokesman said Friday that Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the club, learned of his death Thursday from a member of Watson’s family. A Pittsburgh Penguins spokeswoman said the team was told Watson died at his home in St. Michaels, Maryland. The cause of death was not revealed.

A native of Bancroft, Ontario, Watson played 1,009 games in the NHL for Montreal, Detroit, Oakland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Washington from 1963-1978 before finishing his on-ice career with Cincinnati in the World Hockey Association in 1979.

Watson played junior hockey under Bowman — who holds the record for the most Stanley Cup titles — with Peterborough. He also was paired with Hall of Famer Harvey with the American Hockey League’s Quebec Aces during his second pro season and later coached a young Gretzky.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Alumni Association called Watson a fan favorite known for his feisty play. Listed at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, Watson led the league with 215 penalty minutes during the 1971-72 season during an era of hockey which line brawls and fighting were prevalent.

Watson was the Edmonton Oilers’ first coach for their inaugural NHL season in 1980 after moving over from the WHA. General manager Glen Sather replaced Watson behind the bench after the team started 4-9-5.

Although he only played 155 of his 877 regular-season games for the Capitals, Watson is known well in the Washington area. He and wife Lindy opened a pizza restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1983 that they renamed Bugsy’s in 1998 and sold in 2013.

Former NHL defenseman Bryan ‘Bugsy’ Watson dies at 78Stephen Whyno | Associated Presson July 9, 2021 at 8:18 pm Read More »

Blackhawks file motion to dismiss lawsuit from Michigan high schooler assaulted by Bradley AldrichBen Popeon July 9, 2021 at 10:45 pm