Blackhawks and Kyle Beach reach a breakthrough in settlement negotiations

TSN investigative journalist Rick Westhead has reported an update on the ongoing settlement negotiations between the Chicago Blackhawks and former NHL draft pick Kyle Beach.

Beach, of course, alleges that former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him during the team's 2010 Stanley Cup championship run and that then-Blackhawks executives Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville knew of the allegations and chose to sweep them under the rug. In essence, the entire Blackhawks organization is alleged to have covered up a massive sexual abuse scandal. 

Westhead reports that the Blackhawks and Beach's representation have agreed to mediation in an effort to come to a settlement.

Check it out:

It sounds like the Blackhawks are finally beginning to come around to the idea that they're culpable in this entire ordeal. A couple weeks back Westhead reported that the Blackhawks and Beach's lawyers were seemingly at odds when it comes to the team's role in the scandal. Now... money talks, so I wouldn't believe anything until I see it in my bank account if I were Beach.

While today's news is a definite breakthrough, don't forget that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman explicitly refused to involve himself in any sort of mediation or settlement talks.

Of course Bettman and the NHL have declined to participate... they're lawyers, after all. While I'd love to see Bettman's feet held to the fire here, he's smarter than that and he'll do whatever it takes to distance himself and the NHL from this scandal.