Why is Bill Guerin being investigated? All we know about allegations leveled by Wild's former director of team operations

Minnesota Wild's president of hockey operations and general manager, Bill Guerin, has been allegedly accused of verbal abuse in the workplace by an employee. The employee has filed a complaint with human resources, and he is thus under investigation.

Michael Russo of The Athletic reported,

"The employee who filed the complaint, according to team sources, is Andrew Heydt, the Wild’s director of team operations and player relations. Heydt has been in that position for 10 years and oversees team travel, logistics, and player and alumni relations."

According to five team and league sources, the alleged incident occurred in late November. It was reported to the team's HR department, which commissioned an outside law firm to investigate.

Russo writes,

"Bill Guerin ... has been the focus of an investigation following a human resources complaint by an employee who alleged verbal abuse in the workplace, five team and league sources have confirmed to The Athletic."

Two attorneys interviewed over 15 members of the organization during the investigation. During the ongoing inquiry, Guerin did not attend the NHL's Board of Governors meeting in Seattle and the Wild's four-game road trip to western Canada and Seattle.

The findings have been delivered to upper management and ownership. The Wild management reportedly determined that Guerin had not committed a fireable offense. However, specifics regarding the investigation's conclusions have not been disclosed.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he and Commissioner Gary Bettman have been briefed on the investigations and are satisfied with the resolutions.

Heydt has been absent from work following the Wild's recent road trip.

Bill Guerin's career and previous controversy

Bill Guerin's career trajectory involved joining the Penguins in 2011 as a player development coach, later becoming assistant general manager, focusing on analytics. After Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017, he assumed the role of general manager for the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

In 2019, Guerin became the general manager for the Minnesota Wild. In March 2022, he was recognized as the TSN TradeCentre GM of the Day for his transactions at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.

However, Guerin faced controversy when a lawsuit filed in 2020 alleged he played a role in covering up a sexual assault involving the wife of a Penguins assistant coach. The lawsuit claims Guerin told the coach to stay quiet, but Guerin denies wrongdoing, asserting he promptly reported the allegation to Penguins senior management.

As of May 2021, the lawsuit was ongoing, and the United States Center for SafeSport initiated an investigation into Guerin's alleged role.