Four damning questions for the NHL and Chicago Blackhawks.

The fallout from the investigation conducted into the allegations made by former Chicago Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach has been massive. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman was fired, former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville was unceremoniously ousted as head coach of the Florida Panthers and former senior vice president of hockey operations for the Blackhawks Al MacIsaac is also out.

It seems as though there has been a reckoning and more importantly it would seem as though Beach is finally on his way to receiving a measure of justice after over a decade of suffering as a result of the abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich.

For some however the reckoning that we have witnessed has not been enough, and for many that begins with the fact that the Blackhawks were allowed to conduct this investigation themselves. In a recent article for the Toronto Sun, controversial Toronto columnist Steve Simmons openly called the investigation into question and demanded answers to some very tough questions. 

Specifically, he had 4 questions he demanded answers to, all of which pertain to how Aldrich was treated by the team after they had already learned of the alleged abuse of Beach. 

From Simmons:

We do know that video coach Brad Aldrich allegedly abused Beach, and then was kept with the team, in his position, allowed to participate in Stanley Cup celebrations, had his name carved on to the Cup, had his day with the Cup, all of that happening after the Blackhawks were aware of the horrible circumstances.
Who made those calls? The detailed legal report doesn’t reveal that. Who decided to give Aldrich a day with the Cup? Who decided he would be part of the parade? Who could possibly think that way?

They are difficult questions because we know that, regardless of what the answers are, they will make people uncomfortable. Someone in the Blackhawks organization made those decisions, and perhaps more disturbing is that those aware of the allegations must have been on some level comfortable with Aldrich being included.

Questions that should be answered, but realistically questions we may never learn the answers to.