Despite earlier reports from Sportsnet that Bill Peters had been removed as head coach of the Calgary Flames, GM Brad Treliving says no concrete decision has been made yet one way or the other. All this comes on the heel of accusations from a former player that Peters used the N-word several times when addressing them 10 years ago.
Akim Aliu has given the full account of exactly what he claims Peters said just before a morning skate during the 2009-10 season to TSN
“He walked in before a morning pre-game skate and said ‘Hey Akim, I'm sick of you playing that n----- s---,' ” Aliu told TSN, with Peters, who was then the Ice Hogs head coach, referring to Aliu's selection of hip-hop music. “He said ‘I'm sick of hearing this n-----s f------ other n-----s in the ass stuff.'"
“He then walked out like nothing ever 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.”
Aliu was playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL at the time. Peters was the team's head coach. Two of his former teammates, Simon Pepin and Peter MacArthur, have independently backed up his story with TSN.
"I think everyone should be held accountable for their actions or words spoken," Pepin said.
According to Aliu, he was called into Peters' office after the team's captain, Jake Dowell, confronted Peters about the incident. Aliu says no apology was offered. Instead, Peters again went off about his choice of music.
“You know, I'm just sick of this n----- s---. It's every day. From now on, we need to play different music," Aliu claims Peters said.
Aliu, now 30, was born in Nigeria, raised in Ukraine and moved to Canada at the age of seven. The Blackhawks' second-round pick (56th overall) from 2007 now lives in the Greater Toronto Area and is currently a free agent after spending part of last season with the ECHL's Orlando Solar Bears.
Sportsnet has updated its earlier story to say an investigation into the alleged incident is ongoing and that Peters has not been relieved if his duties at this time.
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Source: TSN.ca
