Joel Quinville resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers “with great regret” on Thursday, a day after it was revealed he had ignored a 2010 sexual assault allegation.
Quinville, then-Chicago Blackhawks coach, wanted his team to focus on the Stanley Cup rather than helping then-rookie Kyle Beach, who revealed himself on Tuesday as the player allegedly abused by video coach Brad Aldrich.
“I want to express my sadness at the pain that this young man, Kyle Beech, has been through,” Quinville said in a statement. “My former Blackhawks failed Kyle and I have my share of that. I want to think about how all of this happened and take the time to educate myself about ensuring that hockey spaces are safe for everyone.”
Beach says his allegations, including Quinville’s, have been overshadowed by the organization.
“I watched the meetings, right after I reported them [Blackhawks mental skills coach] James Garry, who is being held in Joel Quinville’s office. “There is absolutely no way of denying his knowledge,” Beach said in an interview with TSN on Wednesday.
Quinville, 63, gave Aldrich a positive rating when he left the team, according to an independent investigation into the team’s handling of Beach’s claim.
The veteran coach previously said he learned about the allegations “through the media” in the summer of 2021.
Queenville coached the Panthers to a 4-1 win over the Bruins on Wednesday, and did not speak to the media after the game. He met with NHL Commissioner Gary Pittman on Thursday.
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