Dread_Pirate_Westley wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:52 am
Big giant oof. The NHL has no interest in accountability, protecting players, growing the game. A true national embarrassment of a sport. I wish I didn't love it so much and enjoy the banter I get on here with you guys because it'd be so easy to give this sport up.
I waited to reply to this. When the news first broke on Cheveldayoff, my initial reaction was hmm...I guess that makes sense. Certainly I understand the idea of not wanting to make waves when you're told your bosses are taking care of something. But then you think about the timing and things kind of fall apart. Cheveldayoff knew what happened, and knew who did it. Then he watched as that guy continued to work without consequence. He watched him raise the Cup on the ice and ride in a parade around the city. I work in downtown Chicago. The parade went right by my office. That day we closed early and drank on the streets as the Cup went by. Sure I despised the Blackhawks, but I wasn't about to pass up a chance to take off work on a beautiful day in June. Anyway, every double-decker bus that went by was cheered wildly. Not just the busses with the stars, every single one of them. Brad Aldrich was on one of those busses. He was cheered by hundreds of thousands of adoring strangers.
I bet those fans wish they knew then what they knew now. I'm quite certain they would've acted differently. Cheveldayoff was burdened by the knowledge he gained in that meeting. I'm sure it was a hard decision for him, or at least I hope it was. It's really hard doing the right thing sometimes. However the difficulty of the choice doesn't absolve you when you make the wrong decision. They can all go to hell.
