Former Chicago Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations Stan Bowman has been hired by the Edmonton Oilers, ending a stretch of nearly three years where he was out of the sport following revelations surrounding his handling of sexual assault allegations by former player Kyle Beach.
Bowman was announced as the new general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations by the Oilers, replacing Ken Holland as the head of the team’s hockey ops department.
"I am excited and pleased to be welcoming Stan to the Edmonton Oilers," said Jeff Jackson, Oilers CEO of Hockey Operations, in a statement. "I believe his vast experience and proven success in this role, together with the important work he has done in his time away from the game, fits our goal of being best in class when it comes to all facets of our organization. Through our many conversations, we share a common vision of where we are as a team and what is required to achieve another Stanley Cup title."
The hire was not without controversy, as Bowman was recently reinstated by the NHL nearly three years after he resigned his post with the Blackhawks. That followed an investigation into the team’s handling of sexual assault allegations by Beach, who alleged he was assaulted by former video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s 2010 Stanley Cup title run.
The investigation found that Bowman was aware of the allegations and was involved in a May 2010 with top team brass, including former President John McDonough and head coach Joel Quenneville. It was decided that the team would not dig deeper into the investigations due to their ongoing playoff run, and Aldrich was allowed to continue traveling with the team through the conclusion of that season.
Following the campaign, Aldrich was offered a chance to either resign or to face an investigation into his actions, and he chose to step down.
Beach later sued the Blackhawks for their handling of the investigation, with the suit being settled in Dec. 2021. The Blackhawks were also sued by a former high school player that Aldrich was convicted of sexually assaulting three years after his tenure with Chicago ended. That suit was dismissed.
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Bowman resigned his position after the release of the Jenner & Block Report. The NHL fined the Blackhawks $2 million.
Earlier this month, Bowman and Quenneville were reinstated by the NHL, allowing them to pursue jobs within the league.
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“While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership,” the league said in a statement.
Bowman will take questions from media on Wednesday in Edmonton, where he is expected to address the allegations and the actions he has taken since he stepped down as the Blackhawks’ GM.
