NHL News: Fans React To Calgary Flames Coach Bill Peters Following Alleged Racist Remarks To Akim Aliu
Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters are now being investigated by both the NHL and the team itself as reports surfaced regarding his racial slurs towards former player.
According to a report from TSN, Akim Aliu talked about Peters’ racist insult during their years together back in the American Hockey League when the latter was coaching Rockford IceHogs ten years ago. The 30-year old defender opened up that Peters said something about a hip-hop song that he was playing in the locker room.
“‘Hey Akim, I’m sick of you playing that n----- s---,’” Akin revealed when Peters walked in their locker room. “He said, ‘I’m sick of hearing this n-----s f------ other n-----s in the a-- stuff,’” he told Frank Seravali.
After the incident, Aliu, currently a free agent, said that Peters just walked out of the room like nothing just happened. “You could hear a pin drop in the room, everything went dead silent. I just sat down in my stall, didn’t say a word,” said Aliu.
Peters was not available for the after-game interviews after their 3-2 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.
Hockey followers expressed their disgust about the incident on Twitter.
Flames’ General Manager Brad Treliving spoke to the media after the team’s practice yesterday, where it was also reported that Peters was also not present during the session. "This is a subject matter that has no place in our organization and so the magnitude and the serious nature that we take this allegation is very high," said Treliving. He also told the media that they started an investigation regarding the incident, though, they haven’t relieved Peters of his coaching duties.
The Chicago Blackhawks, Rockford’s mother team, also released their official statement regarding their former player. "The alleged actions by a former coach toward Akim Aliu while with the Rockford IceHogs are something we take seriously. The purported incident had not been reported or brought to our attention prior to yesterday and had no effect on any player personnel decision regarding Mr. Aliu,” per Sun Times Chicago.
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