MacLean under fire online for the question he didn't ask Bettman
Game four of the Stanley Cup Final between the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning featured an interview with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that is being slammed online. Many people, including fellow journalists, are calling out Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean for a question he didn't ask Bettman.
Topics covered during last night's interview included some controversial subjects such as officiating in the playoffs and whether NHL players will be able to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. However, one of the biggest hockey stories at the moment was not mentioned at all; the allegations of sexual assault against a former coach of the Chicago Blackhawks by a player and the alleged attempt to sweep it under the rug.
"Not a single question to Gary Bettman from Ron Maclean about the Blackhawks allegations. Pathetic," said Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic.
"Respectfully, I have friends at Sportsnet/CBC who are wonderful, talented, hard-working humans, but Ron MacLean not asking NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about the Chicago Blackhawks sexual assault coverup allegations is an ENORMOUS dereliction of journalistic integrity and duty in my opinion," said Salim Nadim Valji of TSN.
Lukas Weese, who works for several sports outlets including Sportsnet, was equally as annoyed with MacLean for failing to ask any questions about the situation involving the Blackhawks.
"In his first intermission interview, Ron MacLean does not ask NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the Chicago Blackhawks' investigation into sexual assault allegations related to Brad Aldrich. Not one question," he said.
There were several others in the industry, as well as fans, who questioned the decision to let Bettman off the hook on that particular subject. Why that was done or whether it was discussed before the interview took place is anyone's guess. It does seem like an important topic to leave out. For anyone unaware, an unnamed player is suing the Chicago Blackhawks claiming he was sexually assaulted by former video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010. The player alleges Aldrich threated to ruin his career if he told anyone about what he had allegedly done. Aldrich left the Blackhawks organizations shortly after and was later registered as a sex offender in the state of Michigan due to a separate incident.
