Here's the word from ESPN PR rep Andy Hall:
Theo Fleury Speaks Out on ESPN’s E:60 ESPN's award-winning primetime newsmagazine E:60 will feature a revealing interview with former NHL star Theo Fleury in the episode airing Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. ET. The program, which launched in October 2007, combines investigative reporting, in-depth profiles of intriguing sports personalities and features on emerging star athletes. These stories are presented in a fresh and innovative format that incorporates producer/correspondent meetings.
When he slid in jubilation after scoring an overtime goal in the 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs, Fleury produced an iconic image. Off the ice however, the hockey player careened out of control as he slid deeper into addictions of alcohol, cocaine, gambling and women. With the release of his new book, Fleury reveals the source of his demons: a two-year period of sexual molestation by Graham James, his junior hockey coach, beginning when Fleury was 14. In a U.S. television exclusive, Fleury speaks with E:60’s Jeremy Schaap about the shattering effects of the abuse and hiding the truth for 25 years. Fleury’s revelations come over 12 years after Sheldon Kennedy, who is interviewed by E:60, rocked Canadian hockey by accusing James of being a pedophile. In 1997, James pleaded guilty and began a jail sentence for molesting two players an estimated 350 times.
Normally ESPN provides a preview clip of interviews like this one, but Hall told me that this one was shot too late. "They are scrambling just to get the piece ready to air tomorrow night," said Hall.
Tags: E:60, ESPN, Theo Fleury
