From #Flames GM Brad Treliving in Buffalo: We have not completed (our investigation). Bill has not been relieved of his duties. We are continuing this ongoing investigation right now. We hope to have this completed quickly, but it’s got to be thorough.
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What’s happening with the Bill Peters situation
Photo credit: Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports
As of right now, Bill Peters is the head coach of the Calgary Flames. You get the sense from speaking to those around the game, though, that it could change any second.
As of Tuesday evening, here’s where things stand.
The Flames investigation continues
Flames general manager Brad Treliving spoke with the media prior to the team’s practice in Buffalo. He wanted to let everyone know that contrary to Sportsnet’s initial report, Peters was still the team’s head coach.
That said, he reiterated that the investigation had yet to conclude and so he didn’t want to get into the details. He did refer to refer to the alleged conduct as “repulsive.” (The league referred to it as “repugnant” in their statement on Monday night.)
TSN has corroborated the initial incident
An article by TSN’s Frank Seravalli featured an interview with Akim Aliu adding some context to the situation and adding some details:
“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.”Two of Aliu’s Rockford teammates who were in the room at the time of the alleged incident, Simon Pepin and Peter MacArthur, independently corroborated Aliu’s account to TSN on Tuesday.
Treliving shared in his media availability that he spoke with Aliu on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Additional allegations have emerged
In addition to Akim Aliu’s initial allegations from Monday night, additional comments relating misconduct from previous stops in Peters’ coaching career have begun to emerge.
If you think Mike Commodore had harsh words for Babcock you are in for a treat to hear what I would have to say about Bill Peters ... Worst human being to ever coach me ... treated me terrible on a AHL team (IceHogs) where I won a League Award for Community Service. #badguy
Can confirm and will add close relationships spanning decades were ruined because of Francis' decision not to fire Peters. Obviously more to come later.
Per a Hurricanes source -- the player leadership group at the time and other staff members made Ron Francis aware of their concerns about Bill Peters conduct. Obviously - no change was made.
Peters is still head coach… for now
Peters remained at the team hotel and didn’t go to the arena for practice – associate coach Geoff Ward ran the show instead. The general sense chatting with folks around the league is this: Peters’ dismissal is a matter of when, not if. More likely than not, the lawyers are involved right now to determine precisely how Peters’ association with the Flames will come to an end.
I have it good authority that No. 1 is essentially what's happening right now.
Three possible reasons Bill Peters hasn't been fired by Flames: 1. Lawyers haven't figured out this stuff yet. 2. An actual investigation has to be done by the Flames so the lawyers can figure out this stuff. 3. Buying time to give Peters a Hail Mary apology?
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