Calgary Flames head coach resigns following racist epithet scandal

Bill Peters has resigned as head coach of the NHL's Calgary Flames following a Twitter post on Monday in which former player Akim Aliu accused him of "[dropping] the N-bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn't like my choice of music," ESPN reports. The team's general manager, Brad Treliving, said at a Friday news conference, "Effective immediately, Bill Peters is no longer a member of the Calgary Flames organization ... we're going to move forward."

The incident, which Peters apologized for in a statement Wednesday, occurred during the 2009-10 season, when he coached Aliu on the minor-league Rockford Ice Hogs. On Thursday, Aliu called Peters' apology "misleading, insincere, and concerning," and said he will meet with the NHL to assist in its investigation into Peters' conduct. In an earlier interview with TSN, Aliu, who last played in the NHL in 2013, said, "I think it made my career go downhill before it started. This isn't to the degree of [Colin] Kaepernick by any means, but if you play the race card, it's most likely the end of your career."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up