Calgary Flames' Bill Peters accused of directing racial slurs at former player, team investigating
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Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters was accused by a former player of directing racial slurs at him during their time in the minor leagues and then arranging the player’s demotion when he complained.
Akim Aliu, a Nigerian-born hockey player who was with the Flames from 2011 to 2013, made the accusations on Monday via Twitter. The alleged incident occurred more than a decade ago while Aliu was in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He didn’t mention Peters by name.
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“Not very surprising the things we’re hearing about [former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock]. Apple doesn’t fall far from the Tree, same sort of deal with his protege in YYC. Dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music. First one to,” the tweet read.
Babcock had been a mentor to Peters since Babcock coached him in college.
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Aliu played under Peters when the two were with the Rockford IceHogs – the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League minor-league affiliate from 2008 to 2010. Aliu alleged that Peters asked the organization to demote Aliu to a lower minor league level and he was – to the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL during the 2009-10 season.
Flames general manager Brad Treliving said the team was investigating the accusation.
“We're aware of a tweet from former player Akim Aliu,” Treliving said in a statement. “And obviously, we're playing, so I haven't had the chance to sit down with Bill or our people internally to talk about this and get to the bottom of it. We take these matters very, very seriously.”
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He added that the team “will address it and get back to you people once we have a chance to speak internally.”
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Peters was not made available to speak with the media after a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.