CHICAGO — Edmonton Oilers general manager and former Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman filed a motion in Cook County (Ill.) circuit court Wednesday to quash a subpoena for him to be deposed in the civil case of John Doe v. the Chicago Blackhawks.
John Doe, a former Blackhawks player, is suing the Blackhawks for failing to act when informed of sexual assault allegations against one of the team’s former video coaches, Brad Aldrich, during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blackhawks previously settled a case with former player Kyle Beach when similar allegations were made against Aldrich and the organization stemming from the 2010 playoffs.
Bowman and other former Blackhawks employees had been issued subpoenas to sit for depositions from John Doe’s attorneys. Bowman’s motion Wednesday argues he was not properly served the subpoena because his home is in Edmonton, not Chicago, and the court does not have personal jurisdiction over him for a number of reasons, including he is a resident and citizen of Canada. The motion says Bowman is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
Bowman was the general manager of the Blackhawks during the 2009-10 season. He is named in John Doe’s lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2023. Bowman and others in Blackhawks leadership are alleged to have “selected to place the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup ambitions ahead of player safety, including JOHN DOE’s, and suppressed any investigation or other action that may affect “team chemistry” in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals.”
Bowman participated in an investigation of Beach’s allegations in 2021 and was interviewed by the law firm Jenner & Block, which the Blackhawks hired to produce an independent report. Jenner & Block found that the Blackhawks failed to report and investigate Beach’s allegations thoroughly and promptly.
Former Blackhawks assistant general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff recalled to Jenner & Block that Bowman was present during a team leadership meeting during which Beach and Black Ace 1 were referenced.
John Doe was cited in Jenner & Block’s report as Black Ace 1. Black Ace is a term for a prospect who joins the team for a playoff run but doesn’t play. The report was unable to conclude if anything had occurred between John Doe and Aldrich because both people denied having sexual interactions.
The report reads: “Clearly, other individuals, including Black Ace 1’s coach and later a professional acquaintance who wrote an email to the NHLPA, believed something occurred and expressed concern. We include this information about Black Ace 1 because it is clear, at a minimum, that Aldrich, a coach, sent Black Ace 1, a minor league player, text messages of a sexual nature during the 2010 playoffs around the same time as the encounter between John Doe and Aldrich.”
Bowman resigned after the report was published in 2021. The Oilers hired him in July 2024 after he met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and was reinstated, which was among the league’s requirements for Bowman to get a job in the league after the Jenner & Block report. During Bowman’s introductory news conference, he expressed regret over how he handled Beach’s allegations in 2010.
“I’m not here to re-litigate the past, but I do think it’s important to start off by touching on my departure from the Blackhawks a couple seasons ago,” Bowman said. “I can tell you, in this room and to everyone watching, as well as something I’ve said directly to Kyle Beach, that my response was inadequate back in 2010. I didn’t handle things properly. I should’ve done more. That’s something I regret, and it’s something I’ve had a chance to reflect on and try to learn from.”
Bowman worked with former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy and Respect Group, which focuses on bullying; abuse; harassment; and discrimination, before the Oilers hired him. Oilers president and CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson cited Bowman’s work with Kennedy after making the hire.
“As mentioned, I’ve gotten to know some people in the last couple years, Sheldon Kennedy being one of them, in addition to Sheldon, I’ve had a chance to work with his group, I’ve also had a chance to work with Kyle Beach and other people,” Bowman said during his Oilers news conference. “In that process, I feel like I’ve learned some things that I didn’t know, and I’ve learned ways that I could do a better job in the future. And I can tell you, without a doubt, that those things will never happen on my watch again.”
(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
