The Chicago Blackhawks have suspended prospect Garret Ross due to his alleged involvement in a revenge porn scandal.
#Blackhawks statement on Garret Ross: https://t.co/rL92YO3Gho
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 23, 2016
The Blackhawks released the following statement today.
“On Saturday afternoon, March 19, 2016, the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs learned of a legal proceeding against IceHogs player Garret Ross. At that time, we excused Garret from team activities pending our preliminary review of the matter. After further review, we have determined to suspend Garret indefinitely pending the outcome of the legal process. Because this is a pending legal proceeding, we will have no further comment at this time.”
TMZ reported Ross is in the midst of being prosecuted after he allegedly shared a sexual photo of a woman with other people, which he did not have consent to do. He was charged with one count of “non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images” and could face up to three years in prison.
The 23-year-old left winger is in his fourth season in the Blackhawks organization and has appeared in 59 games with the Rockford IceHogs, scoring seven goals, 13 assists, and 20 points.
The Blackhawks acted swiftly to suspend Ross, which is a completely different reaction to how they handled Patrick Kane’s rape accusations. There is a difference here, as Ross was charged with a crime, while Kane wasn’t. Still, it’s good to see the Blackhawks learned from their past handling, even if it was still egregious at the time.
