Hockey News - Flames coach Bill Peters quits; accused of slurs, abuse

Calgary Flames associate coach Geoff Ward gives instruction during an NHL hockey practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019, in Buffalo, N.Y. Flames general manager Brad Treliving says coach Bill Peters remains on the staff but wasn’t certain whether he’d be behind the bench for the next game. The team and the NHL are both investigating an allegation the Peters directed racial slurs at a player 10 years ago when the two were in the minors. Akim Aliu, a Nigerian-born player, says Peters “dropped the N bomb several times” in a dressing room during his rookie year. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Bill Peters has resigned as coach of the Calgary Flames amid allegations of racial slurs and physical abuse of players in previous jobs.

General manager Brad Treliving on Friday announced he accepted Peters’ resignation. Peters had not been on the ice or behind the bench with his team since former player Akim Aliu levelled the accusations of racist slurs on Twitter on Monday night.

Aliu said in the minors in 2009-10 that Peters “dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music.”

In a letter Wednesday to Treliving, Peters said he regretted such conduct and apologized to anyone harmed by it. Aliu called Peters’ statement “misleading, insincere and concerning.”

Also this week, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed Peters physically abused his players behind the bench while in Carolina.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports