Toews, Kane misfire when discussing sexual assault scandal

After the Blackhawks fell to Toronto in overtime Wednesday, coach Jeremy Colliton began his postgame Zoom interview by apologizing for not being more sensitive to sexual abuse victims in comments he made that morning.

"I made a mistake in not being more specific about my sympathy and admiration for the courage of the victims of the sexual assaults," Colliton said. "Especially certainly Kyle Beach ... him coming on TV and speaking as he did.

"I haven't seen everything, but I have seen a couple of his quotes and obviously very powerful. He needs to be commended and it took a lot obviously to go through what he's gone through."

About 30 minutes before the Hawks' game against the Maple Leafs, Beach went on TSN, and told the world that he was the John Doe who had been abused by then-video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010. Beach was the 11th overall pick of the 2008 draft and in the midst of trying to fulfill his dream of reaching the NHL.

Colliton, a second-round pick by the Islanders in 2003, can relate as he played in just 57 NHL games.

"Well, it's hard to put myself exactly in his shoes and I don't want to speak for him, certainly," Colliton said. "But obviously everyone wants to make it and there's pressure and you feel like this is your chance. Any(one in) position of power, we've got to protect people and it's up to us in leadership positions to do everything we can to protect those without power."

Perfectly stated.

Unfortunately for the Hawks, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews did not handle their postgame pressers nearly as well.

While Kane did say it's "just a terrible situation" and it was "very courageous" for Beach to identify himself, he also called GM Stan Bowman "a great man."

"He did a lot for me personally, coming into the league and over the course of my career," Kane said.

Shockingly, Toews took the same tone, saying he "has a ton of respect" for Bowman and former vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac - both of whom were in a meeting with senior management when the allegations of sexual abuse first came to light in May 2010.

"Stan and Al - make any argument you want - they're not directly complicit in the activities that happened." Toews said.

There is obviously no road map for how to answer questions about such a difficult situation, but common sense says everyone should have focused on the victims. Not Bowman. Not MacIsaac. Not former coach Joel Quenneville or anybody else. Only the victims - and specifically Beach.

"My heart goes out to Kyle for what he dealt with. I wish I could've done something," Toews said.

Perfect. Stop there.

But he didn't.

"It's obviously not an excuse looking back, but the truth is a lot of us were just focused on playing hockey and doing what we were doing every single day," Toews continued. "If you do hear rumors, (it's) in the back of your mind. Now if you look at the detail of it all, it looks ugly and it's really hard to stomach the fact you didn't dive into something like that a little bit more and take it more seriously."

So does all of this put a stain on the Hawks' 2010 Stanley Cup championship?

Kane said he'll "always have special memories from that year" but that "with everything coming to light, that might overshadow it a little bit."

Toews - while saying the scandal puts things in perspective - said this: "When you're chasing your dream of winning a Stanley Cup, it becomes the only thing. As they say, winning is everything and it just consumes your whole world.

"It's a special memory ... but when (there's) something like this that tarnishes it, it makes you realize there's more to life than hockey in so many ways. This is an unfortunate situation.

"Winning the Stanley Cup that year is beside the point. Whether we won or not, do we wish this would've been dealt with differently in some ways? Probably. We wish it could've taken it back and it never happened and young players never had to deal with a situation like that? Absolutely.

"It's just tough all around."

Indeed. But it was toughest for Beach and for those Aldrich abused in the years after he left the Hawks.

Let's remember that today. And every day going forward.

Roster move:

The Hawks called up defenseman Isaak Phillips from the Rockford IceHogs and sent defenseman Ian Mitchell down to the AHL team. The Hawks play at Carolina on Friday and at St. Louis on Saturday.