The Hockey Stop

In a shocking development, Los Angeles Kings assistant coach Mark Hardy has been charged with sexually assaulting his daughter in a Washington, D.C. hotel room. His daughter Jessica, 21, attends Georgetown University in D.C. The alleged incident took place at the Mayflower Hotel.

Washington Post story:

Hockey coach charged in hotel sex assault

A former Los Angeles Kings hockey player and current assistant coach was charged Friday with sexually assaulting his adult daughter at the Mayflower Hotel.

Mark Hardy, 51, was charged with fourth-degree sexual abuse in connection with fondling his daughter in the hotel room after the two walked from a bar on 19th Street around 1 a.m. The daughter reportedly attends college in D.C.

The victim told police that she and her father were “very intoxicated,” and after she had changed her clothes, got into bed and fell asleep, she was awakened by her father laying next to her and touching her inappropriately, according to documents filed late Friday in D.C. Superior Court.

After first denying that anything happened, Hardy apologized to his daughter, the court papers said. She then ran from the room to the front desk for help.

At his initial hearing Friday, prosecutors said Hardy declined to be interviewed by pre-trial services. Magistrate Judge Karen Howze ordered Hardy released, but ordered him to turn in his passport, undergo alcohol evaluation and to have no contact, verbal, physical or electronic with his daughter.

Hardy was represented by the District’s Public Defender Service and declined to comment after the hearing. Hardy’s next hearing is scheduled for June 4.

Hardy played for the Kings from 1979-1988 and again from 1992-1994. He also served as assistant coach for the team. Hardy also played for the New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars, and was an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.

-- Keith L. Alexander


L.A. Times story:

Kings' Mark Hardy charged with felony sexual abuse

Hardy, a Kings assistant coach, was arrested after a complaint by a family member in Washington.

May 21, 2010
By Helene Elliott

Mark Hardy, a former Kings defenseman and current assistant coach, was arrested early Friday and charged with felony fourth-degree sexual abuse after a complaint by a family member at a hotel in Washington.

Hardy, a Manhattan Beach resident, was taken into custody and appeared before a judge Friday afternoon in the District of Columbia Superior Court. The 51-year-old was released with conditions, including the surrender of his passport and a prohibition against having any physical, verbal or electronic contact with the family member.

He is due to appear in court again June 4.

The Kings issued a statement saying they were aware of the charge and would not comment because of the "legal nature of this matter." A team spokesman declined to say whether Hardy remains on the payroll or has been suspended or placed on leave.

According to court documents, the person who filed the complaint and Hardy had been at a bar before returning to the Mayflower Hotel. The family member went to sleep and awoke to find Hardy sharing the bed and making inappropriate sexual contact.

Second District police were called and two detectives arrived at 2 a.m.

After being interviewed Hardy was arrested.

It is The Times' practice not to name alleged sexual abuse victims.

Hardy played for the Kings from 1979-80 through 1987-88 and returned for the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. He also played for the New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars. After he retired as a player, he was a member of the coaching staff of the minor league Long Beach Ice Dogs before joining the Kings as an assistant coach for the 1999-2000 season.

He left after 2005-06 for an assistant coaching job with the Chicago Blackhawks before returning to the Kings in August 2008. He has been in charge of the team's penalty-killing unit in addition to working closely with the team's defensemen.


NHL.com profile:

Coach Hardy's Playing Statistics

Mark Hardy returned to the Kings on August 4, 2008 after spending two seasons with the Blackhawks, where he successfully oversaw the development of a young blueline that played a major role in Chicago's team goals-against-average dropping from 3.40 in 2005-06 to 2.82 in '07-08. Hardy, 49, had served as an assistant coach with the Kings for the previous seven and a half seasons (1998-99 to 2005-06). His responsibilities while in Los Angeles focused on defensive play, penalty killing and overall play without the puck. Hardy's penalty killing unit ranked third in the NHL for the 2001-02 season with an 86.6% success rate which marked the second best in Kings history.

After enjoying a 15-year NHL career as a defenseman for the Kings, New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars, Hardy turned to coaching as an assistant coach with the Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL) prior to joining the Kings coaching staff.

Hardy was originally selected by the Kings in the second round, 30th overall, in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. He played his junior hockey (QMJHL) in Montreal with current Blackhawks Head Coach Denis Savard. Hardy was twice named the Kings Outstanding Defenseman (1984-85 and 1986-87). He stayed with the Kings until 1988. After two stints with the Rangers and a short run with the North Stars, Hardy returned to the Kings in 1993 and helped the team advance to the Stanley Cup Finals that season. He concluded his NHL playing career the following season (1993-94) with the Kings.

In 915 career NHL games, Hardy, a native of Samedan, Switzerland, recorded 368 points (62 goals, 306 assists) and 1,293 penalty minutes.

Mark and his wife, Kristina, have two children, a daughter, Jessica, and a son, Kevin.