How do the Flames start putting the Bill Peters scandal behind them?

Yes, the Calgary Flames are still conducting their investigation into the conduct of current head coach Bill Peters. That investigation is going to wrap up at some point, though, and we presume Peters will cease being Calgary’s coach. Whenever the post-Peters era begins, the Flames have a few things they can do to start putting this ugly situation behind them.

This seems simple on the surface, but the fact the team’s investigation has dragged into Thursday tells you it’s actually anything but. Lawyers are involved on both sides, which has bogged down the entire process. That fact shouldn’t change the end result, which needs to be the Flames severing ties in some form or another.

Peters has admitted to the racist comments brought to light by Akim Aliu; he copped to those in a written apology sent to general manager Brad Treliving Wednesday night. And, while Peters hasn’t addressed subsequent allegations about his conduct in Carolina, his actions there have been corroborated by multiple witnesses, including current head coach Rod Brind’Amour.

I believe Calgary made their decision when Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek initially reported Peters had been fired Tuesday morning. Due to legal rigamarole, though, the team hasn’t been able to make an official announcement as of yet. When they do, detaching from Peters has to be what we hear.

We’ve heard the Flames say things like “we’re taking this seriously” and “this is serious subject matter,” but the words “racist” or “racism” have rarely been spoken, if at all. There might be legal nuances preventing the team from using certain language, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. But at some point, taking a hard line would go a long way.

Once the team and Peters part ways, have a few people publicly declare racism isn’t okay and the organization doesn’t stand for it in any way, shape, or form. It would be a necessary step that would accomplish a couple things. First, it would underline why Peters is no longer with the team. While most make the connection, without a pointed declaration, the Flames could easily be viewed as doing this primarily to save face.

Additionally, it would send a strong message to fans in Calgary. This is one of Canada’s most multicultural cities and people of colour make up a significant portion of the team’s fanbase. Firing and/or parting ways with Peters is fine, but taking it a step further is important.

The first two steps are relatively simple to accomplish, as they’re in the team’s control. This final step is a little more difficult to just, well, do. But if the Flames rally around this and it brings them closer as a group, they can turn a negative into a positive. To accomplish this, Calgary is going to need to buy into their new bench boss.

Assuming Geoff Ward is named interim head coach, it’ll be his first time leading a staff at the NHL level. That’s not always a recipe for success, and first time head coaches don’t always get their team’s attention. Everything I’m led to believe suggests Ward has the respect of his players, but until it’s put into action you never know.

Nobody on the Flames signed up for this firestorm, but they’re in the eye of it now. Can Calgary use this as a rallying point? It might be narrative driven, but it could also be the only on-ice positive the Flames can take away from what has been a nightmare week.