Kyle Beach’s parents supported him when they found out that the Chicago Blackhawks’ then video coach Brad Aldrich had sexually assaulted him in 2010.
Kyle was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. The Blackhawks selected him in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, but he never played in the NHL.
He played power forward in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and was named the league’s Rookie of the Year in the 2006-07 season.
At the end of the 2008-09 season, he made his professional debut with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) and played for them until the start of the 2013-14 season.
The Blackhawks called him to the Blackhawks’ practice squad during the 2010 Stanley Cup run, and he joined the club for three weeks. On December 6, 2013, he was traded to the New York Rangers.
Kyle signed a tryout contract with EC Salzburg in August 2014 but left the club after nine games. Later, he signed with the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL.
On March 17, 2017, he continued his tenure at EBEL by agreeing to a two-year contract with EC VSV. He announced his retirement on May 10, 2022.
Kyle Beach’s Parents Helped Him Survive a Hockey Nightmare
Kyle Beach made headlines in 2021 when he appeared as “John Doe” in a lawsuit against the Chicago Blackhawks. He revealed that he had been sexually assaulted by then-video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.
His courageous decision to speak out was the constant support of his parents, who stood by him through years of pain and turmoil.
Kyle’s mother, a teacher in School District 23 in Kelowna, British Columbia, and his father, an employee for the City of Kelowna, raised their son in a close-knit family.
Hockey was central to Kyle’s life, and his parents supported his dreams. However, their lives took a devastating turn in 2010, when Aldrich sexually assaulted Beach.
Aldrich had threatened his career and told him he would never play in the NHL if he told anyone about what had happened.
Kyle recalled feeling alone, like he couldn’t turn to anybody for help.
He reached out to his younger brother, Cody, for a talk, and things turned serious. He started with some brotherly life advice, and then he teared up.
Cody had never seen his brother cry or break down before, and he was caught off guard.
From our [family’s] perspective, we thought he was doing this Stanley Cup run and being a part of it, and what kid wouldn’t want to do that? That’s what we dream of. What we saw his experience as was not the experience he had. But I didn’t know the extent of why.
Cody Beach
Kyle and his family carried what happened to him in silence for years. His parents later thanked him for filing a police complaint against Aldrich, acknowledging how difficult it must have been for him to come forward.
The legal battle that followed was grueling, but his parents stood by him every step of the way.
On November 23, 2021, Kyle’s attorney, Susan Loggans, confirmed that he and the Chicago Blackhawks had agreed to mediation, leading to an undisclosed settlement.
While the financial terms were kept private, the emotional toll on the Beach family was undeniable.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- 36-year-old Kyle Beach was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on January 13, 1990.
- His parents raised him alongside his brother, NHL referee Cody Beach, born on August 8, 1992. The St. Louis Blues drafted Cody in the 5th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
- He married Bianca Beach and has a son, Nico Matteo Beach, born on October 24, 2022.
