Akim Aliu has been in the news a lot recently after allegations he made against Bill Peters--allegations Peters admitted were true--ultimately resulted in Peters stepping down as head coach of the Calgary Flames. Aliu revealed that Peters used racial slurs while addressing him when the two were both with the Rockford Icehogs organization in the AHL 10 years ago. Aliu is now talking about another incident of racism he had to endure while a member of the Colorado Eagles of the AHL in 2011.
According to a new Interview with the Wall Street Journal, Aliu was invited to a team Halloween party hosted by the Eagles' players, staff, management and even their families. A couple of days before the party, he says he was told to show up a little bit later than the start time. Aliu says he didn't think much of it, until he walked in and poured himself a beer. The team's equipment manager, Tony Deynzer, came out from behind a corner dressed as Aliu, complete with a custom-made jersey bearing Aliu's number and nickname, Dreamer, on the back and in blackface.
Aliu posed for the picture with Deynzer which you can see above, after being prompted by his teammates and others in attendance. He says he didn't want to cause a scene because families, including children, were present. He says he felt trapped, was in shock, and didn't fully realize the gravity of the moment until he called his brother immediately afterward.
“I didn't even grasp the idea of how vicious of a thing that is to do,” Aliu told the Wall Street Journal.
At the time the WSJ article was written, Deynzer still worked for the Colorado Eagles. When contacted by the Wall Street Journal, Deynzer wouldn't return their calls. The Colorado Eagles, in a statement to WSJ, said they “had absolutely no knowledge of this event, therefore we feel it would be premature to comment at this time.” However, in an update since the story was released, Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic says Deynzer has now been placed on administrative leave by the team.
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Aliu goes further in the article, talking about a rookie hazing ritual he had to endure as a sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft of the Ontario Hockey League. He and other players were told to strip naked and cram themselves into the bathroom of a bus. Aliu refused, and he claims because of his refusal, within the small world of hockey he developed a reputation as troublesome. You can read the entire story here.
UPDATE: The Colorado Eagles have issued an open apology to Aliu on Twitter today.
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