I can't believe we have to talk about the Blackhawks again
Redemption tours and changing organizational culture
Note from Gaby and Perrye: We had a posting schedule for Black History Month, so thanks for messing that up, y’all.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual assault, death, mental health, just a sprinkle of generational trauma *jazz hands*
Funnily enough, two days before Rocky Wirtz’s outlandish behavior at the town hall, a friend and I talked about the future of the Blackhawks over bowls of Pho. We worked together years ago in the Native community here in Chicago, so we’ve both ended up developing weird connections to hockey because of it. For the first time since probably 2015, she and I tentatively agreed that maybe things were looking up for the team. We had both heard from different sources that the new front office was different. They were younger and more progressive, and they meant what they said about their commitment to the Native community. So on Wednesday, February 2nd, I sat down and tuned in to what I thought would be a boring PR speak-heavy presentation. Maybe they would say something mildly exciting, or at least give me something to roast them about in the following newsletter. Boy, was I wrong.
By this point, most folks have probably seen the two clips circulating where Rocky Wirtz berates Mark Lazerus of The Athletic and Phil Thompson from the Chicago Tribune. In the tantrum heard around the sport’s world, Rocky Wirtz let press members know that he was done definitely and absolutely done talking about the scandal.
“We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach. We’re not going to talk about anything that happened. Now we’re moving on.”
Before getting into what I want to talk about, I want to mention that I’ve also experienced sexual violence. To be honest, this is probably the first and last time I’ll talk about it. I’m not ashamed, but it’s definitely of those things I don’t particularly want to dwell on. Even though it happened when I was 19, it took a few more years to realize its impact on me. That same year I would lose my cousin to gun violence and also sink into a depression that took most of my early 20s from me. By the time I had the brain capacity to talk about it, I had already done a lot of therapy and had the skills to cope.
Like many other survivors, I didn’t simply “move on.” I’ve been able to heal, for sure, but that has been a years-long process that has taken a lot of learning, patience and forgiveness for myself and others.
As expected, the reaction has been swift and brutal, and any progress made by the organization since October essentially vanished. I think it’s worth reiterating that his comments were not just careless, but cruel, selfish, and lacking in any sort of compassion for Kyle Beach and anyone else who’d been victimized. It gave us a clear idea of why John McDonough, Stan Bowman and others ran things the way they did. In under five minutes, everyone watching was told that change within the organization was essentially subject to the whims and temper of the man in the highest position of power.
About a week out from the incident, we’re starting to see the upcoming redemption tour. On Wednesday, February 9th, we got the first sit-down interview with Danny Wirtz for NBC Sports Chicago. He touched on the things the organization was doing, including a mental health and wellness department, a cultural committee led by staff, and a set of internal protocols meant to keep players and staff safe (So, like, standard HR practices).
Though the right, pacifying words may have been said, I wasn’t convinced. In any organization - regardless of its size - meaningful and transformative change is difficult. It requires a profound commitment from its leaders, and it demands transparency. There’s a huge learning curve wherein everyone involved has to understand the root causes of violence and harm and learn how to address it without perpetuating further trauma. Change asks that we understand how we as individuals, particularly those in power, benefit from the status quo and how we may have played a role in furthering harm. It’s hard, and it’s why so many DEI initiatives end up failing. In the very insular hockey world, where progress comes at a glacial pace, that seems almost impossible. For people like the Wirtz family, who’ve benefited from the way things have been in the sport for so long, can we expect them to really commit?
What we got in this first interview was a very superficial plan at best. They’ll most likely go into detail later on, but I remain dubious until we see concrete actions. It’s hard to believe in change when we look at the other things they’ve done outside of this vision they keep on selling us. For starters, they made Kyle Beach sign an NDA as part of his settlement, essentially preventing him from ever talking about his experience again.
As they search for a new general manager, everyone involved in the search process has been white, male, and from well-connected backgrounds. They’ve also included two members of the 2010 team in the GM search committee, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp - the latter of which participated in a Barstool event a few days after the announcement. The same Barstool whose founder is also facing his own set of allegations, and who is presently involved in the harassment of a young beat reporter who was unjustly let go from their role.
I’d also add that despite decades of research on the negative impact of logos on Indigenous children, and the clear stance against the logo from Indigenous organizations located in Chicago, they have only recently told us that they have no intention of changing it. In fact, it took a social uprising for them to even consider banning headdresses.
How are we supposed to look at all of this and Rocky’s reaction and believe what they’re saying? With what they’re giving us right now, it’s hard to envision a future in which this particular organization is at the forefront of change. The reality is until we see something real, I won’t be holding my breath.
Other Thoughts:
I feel like I’ve watched, listened or read most of the reactions related to Rocky Wirtz. Here’s what I liked:
The Laz and Powers Podcast: Mark Lazerus and Phil Thompson, the reporters at the center of this all, discuss *waves hand* everything. Later on, Mark speaks with Jon Greenberg to get a perspective from outside of the hockey world.
SPDN: It was very satisfying to see someone express the anger, so many of us were feeling. If you have time, I’d go and watch the entire segment on youtube.
Marisa Ingemi was unexpectedly let go two weeks before her 6-month probationary period was over with The Seattle Times. I cannot fathom what the logic behind this decision was. Marisa is not only great on a personal level; her work covering the Seattle Kraken was fantastic and made hockey accessible to tons of new fans in an emerging market. We’re sending her our best wishes and can’t wait to see what she does next.
Brad Marchand got a 6-game suspension for a roughing/high-sticking Tristan Jarry. He is like a cartoon villain. How does he manage to be funny one second and then do the weirdest, most unnecessary shit right after? Me and the NHL Department of Player Safety got beef, but I’ll give them this one.
I’m not gonna lie; I didn’t watch the All-Star Game on TV. I ate chicken wings and watched Studio Ghibli movies with my best friend. BUT I did see this clip of Claude Giroux walking around in public without shoes. In Vegas, of all places. Do you also sit on your bed in street clothes? Walk around in your house with outside shoes? What chaos is this? What are you doing, sir???
When you’re the Team Metro Captain, you can walk around the arena barefoot. #NHLAllStar | @28CGirouxAnyway, I’m starting my campaign for Bad Bunny for the 2023 ASG. Please, @NHL, give me this one thing.
For like a year, Perrye and I have been talking about preventing helmet-related hair loss. At first, we thought satin-lined helmets might do it, but the levels of sweat would destroy them immediately. Because we’re all about #sustainability, we’ve come up with an alternate solution: washable, detachable, satin-lined strips that’ll prevent their hairlines from giving upon them. Velcro backed, so they can be changed as needed and thick enough to avoid any type of rubbing. Hey Auston Matthews, looking to invest?
Random Things:
I’m back on a romance kick! I read Season’s Change, the fantastic debut novel by Cait Nary, in one sitting. It features a gay hockey romance and the Hockey Himbo of our Dreams. So cute.
If you’re looking for more hockey player LGBTQ+ romance novels, I’ve also been working through Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series.For non-romance stuff, here’s what I’ll be reading until the next time:
Occult America - Mitch Horowitz
Song of Protest - Pablo Neruda.
Can’t wait to hear about the Olympics from Perrye next week. Talk soon!
Best,
Gaby