A few items to catch up on from the weekend.
Pitter patter.
Duncan Keith trade talks continue
It still feels weird to merely consider the proposition of Duncan Keith playing for any team other than the Blackhawks, but rumors continue to swirl around the future Hall of Famer. In Saturday’s edition of the “31 Thoughts” series from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, details emerged on what Chicago has been seeking from Edmonton in a potential Keith deal.
Friedman wrote that the negotiations have been ongoing for two weeks now, with Chicago’s desired return including defenseman Ethan Bear and forward Ryan McLeod. Friedman used the “and/or” designation between those two, suggesting Chicago has not asked for both as the return in the same deal.
[UPDATE] The trade has reportedly happened. Details are here.
Blackhawks file motion to dismiss lawsuit
On Friday, the Blackhawks filed a motion in court to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them by a Michigan high school hockey player who alleged that he was sexually assaulted in 2013 by Bradley Aldrich, a former video coach with Chicago. There are now motions filed to dismiss each lawsuit.
More details are available in this article by Ben Pope of the Sun-Times, but he summarized one key aspect of this filing in on Twitter:
Basically, the Hawks say that since the Blackhawks player Aldrich allegedly assaulted in 2010 was not a minor, not disabled and not in a care facility, management didn’t have to report it. Here’s the full paragraph: pic.twitter.com/DiypBrYtor
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 9, 2021
Also on Friday, the former Blackhawks player who’s the plaintiff in the other lawsuit filed against the team will reportedly not cooperate with the internal investigation being performed by the team. Attorney Susan Loggans, who’s representing the player, told TSN’s Rick Westhead that in an interview on Friday.
Loggans’ sentiment can be largely summarized by this quote from Westhead’s article:
“The Blackhawks have been lying all along, denying in court documents that this sexual misconduct even took place, so why would we have any faith now in an investigation that has been paid for by the Blackhawks?”
Again, more likely to come on this situation.
Patrick Kane wins ESPY award for Best NHL Player
To end the updates on a lighter note, Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane won the ESPY on Saturday night for “Best NHL Player,” which is … kind of hilarious. Kane remains one of the best players in the league and was very good in 2021 but receiving that award should merit little more than a shrug of the shoulders.
It’s also a solid argument against using fan voting to determine any sort of postseason awards.
[UPDATE] WHL’s Portland Winterhawks announce logo change
On Monday, the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL revealed in a Twitter video that they’re going to be changing the team logo as part of a franchise re-branding.
For those unfamiliar with that team, here’s why it’s relevant to fans of the Blackhawks:
NEWS: The Portland Winterhawks of the #WHL will drop their Native American logo and announce new team branding to the public Wednesday.
Portland’s logo and jerseys are inspired by the #NHL‘s Chicago #Blackhawks.
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) July 12, 2021