CHICAGO — After reaching an impasse during initial settlement talks, the Chicago Blackhawks and Kyle Beach’s attorney have agreed to use a mediator for two lawsuits against the team.
The Hawks and attorney Susan Loggans issued a joint statement Tuesday, saying they are “working together to achieve a fair resolution of both cases outside of the litigation process.”
The two sides said the mediation will be done by a third-party starting Dec. 15. The mediation will be nonbinding and take place in Cook County, according to Loggans.
“We’re going to see what each party’s mutual position is,” Loggans told the Chicago Tribune. “We’ve been unable to get the Blackhawks to tell us what their position is. So at this point they will disclose to the mediator what their position is about settlement.”
Loggans represents Beach, a former prospect, and a former high school hockey player using the pseudonym “John Doe 2” in separate lawsuits against the Hawks.
Beach alleges he was sexually assaulted by former video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010 and that the Hawks suppressed the complaint.
Three years later, Aldrich was convicted of having criminal sexual conduct with a 16-year-old Houghton (Mich.) High School hockey player, now known as John Doe 2.
The Hawks declined to make an opening settlement offer and reportedly balked at Loggans’ claim that Beach would’ve made $60 million in salary if not for the team’s actions in 2010. The team’s lawyers said they have made strong legal arguments to dismiss both lawsuits in previous motions.
Loggans said “we’re going to see how it goes” with Beach’s mediation before proceeding with John Doe 2′s mediation.
“We have a tentative date for John Doe 2, but we’re going to see if there are grounds to move forward on John Doe 2,” she said.
