[News] Bill Peters resigns as head coach. No longer part of Flames org. Ward interim HC

[nfotiu]

Josh Hader was pretty quickly forgiven for his old tweets, and they were significantly worse than what Peters said.

I think in Peters case it was more than just the incident. It was that combined with how he treated Aliu in the aftermath, the Hurricanes incident, whatever was uncovered about how was treating the Flames and the fact that the team is no longer performing well under him. It seems all those factored into his dismissal, and I'm ok with that.

I also don't see any reason to criticize Aliu for hiring an attorney. If this did contribute to the derailing of his career, then he should pursue some damages if he still can. I don't see any way he can go after the Flames, so I don't really get why this should be any of our concern.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Josh Hader was pretty quickly forgiven for his old tweets, and they were significantly worse than what Peters said.

I think in Peters case it was more than just the incident. It was that combined with how he treated Aliu in the aftermath, the Hurricanes incident, whatever was uncovered about how was treating the Flames and the fact that the team is no longer performing well under him. It seems all those factored into his dismissal, and I'm ok with that.

I also don't see any reason to criticize Aliu for hiring an attorney. If this did contribute to the derailing of his career, then he should pursue some damages if he still can. I don't see any way he can go after the Flames, so I don't really get why this should be any of our concern.

Josh Hader was like 16 when he posted that stuff.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by RodimusPryme

If Aliu was good enough to play in the NHL he’s be playing. This is all sour grapes from a malcontent loser. My takeaway for all this is Peters got fired for calling rap music n*** music. He apologized. It was 10 years ago. Is he banned from the NHL for life for one bad decision? There isn’t evidence he used the n word on any other occasion. Seriously, wtf?

Wow. I am not an Aliu super fan but I know he was a very very good junior player. That the derailing of his career began when he blew the whistle on hazing in junior hockey. He refused to participate when Steve Downie made the rookies strip naked and cram into the team bus bathroom.

I know enough that he saved a lot of other kids the same humiliation and inadvertantly sacrificing his own career.

Here is a very good article about the incident and his potential, with a letter from Akim about the hazing. If you can't get a feel for the guy's character from it or see the potential he had...then I am sorry for those people.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...zing-big-read/

[RodimusPryme]

Originally Posted by Radio

Wow. I am not an Aliu super fan but I know he was a very very good junior player. That the derailing of his career began when he blew the whistle on hazing in junior hockey. He refused to participate when Steve Downie made the rookies strip naked and cram into the team bus bathroom.

I know enough that he saved a lot of other kids the same humiliation and inadvertantly sacrificing his own career.

Here is a very good article about the incident and his potential, with a letter from Akim about the hazing. If you can't get a feel for the guy's character from it or see the potential he had...then I am sorry for those people.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...zing-big-read/

Thanks for this article. I had no idea.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Someone must know an awful lot about the attorney Aliu just hired to feel justified in having an opinion on his decision. To be questioning his motivation and to recommend he hire some high profile civil rights lawyer to further an anti racism agenda is taking back seat driving to a whole other level.

Aliu already had representation (a Toronto firm) to accompany him to meet with the NHL. Which was a smart move.

Additionally, he hired these guys http://www.geragos.com/about/notable-clients. You don't have to stretch your imagination too far to assume he's going for some kind of settlement. Probably another smart move.

I'm sure he didn't see it going this way when he pressed send on his original tweet, but when Geragos & Geragos calls you and tells you what you "could" get, you probably listen. No one should criticize him for that. We'd all listen.

[iggyloob12]

For what? Going public with comments that Peters himself later admitted to uttering?

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

I dunno, but Bill Peters could conceivably sue Akim, no?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

Aliu already had representation (a Toronto firm) to accompany him to meet with the NHL. Which was a smart move.

Additionally, he hired these guys http://www.geragos.com/about/notable-clients. You don't have to stretch your imagination too far to assume he's going for some kind of settlement. Probably another smart move.

I'm sure he didn't see it going this way when he pressed send on his original tweet, but when Geragos & Geragos calls you and tells you what you "could" get, you probably listen. No one should criticize him for that. We'd all listen.

My take on this is that if the story Aliu has been telling is accurate, then he is absolutely entitled to seek further compensation. Remember that this is not just about racism. It is also about racist remarks uttered by a coach who abused his power, and was a direct contributor to derailing the career of a very promising young player. I think the claims Aliu have been making are that we’re it not for Peters (among others) his hockey career would have unfolded much differently.

[DeluxeMoustache]

^ I am curious what Aliu’s case would be. How “derailed” was his career? He was in the NHL 2 years after the Peters incident and was never a 100 percent sure thing.

He was recognized on that NHL central scouting form as having very good to excellent skills in certain areas with average marks for work ethic and discipline. High marks on skills and low marks in competitiveness and defensive play.

Some highlights:
Player type: power forward
Pro potential: 6 - Good chance to play in NHL. Needs time to develop
Pro ranking - potential role should he make the NHL: 8. 1st line / top 2 D
Deserves consideration as one of the best prospects in these areas: Fighting, shot

Skating was generally ranked as very good.
Same with puck skills
Work ethic average, consistency poor
Average marks for back checking and defensive reliability.

I think that the NHL has changed a bit between then and now. More emphasis on speed and less on fighting. To me, the issues of consistency and work ethic have a lot to do with bubble players sticking.

Aliu did make the NHL, he showed flashes, and was given a fair shot in Calgary. He has bounced around afterwards, and a few times since then has played for 3 teams in one year.

Different people have different paths to the NHL. Some draftees don’t make it but he did. He was a feel good story when he made it, but he didn’t stick.

Being 30 now, he was, what, 22 or 23 when he made it? That is on track time wise for a lot of kids who get their first look.

He got into his first NHL games with Calgary 2 seasons after the Peters incident, as far as I can tell.

I know that there is a significant jump in earning potential between minor leagues to NHL, where the minimum wage of 695 K at the time (or whatever) is life changing.

Lawsuits in Canada as far as I understand generally involve damages that can be demonstrated.

I probably have no idea what they are based on in the US.

I guess my question is if he is suing anyone, be it an organization or a league, how he intends to demonstrate on the balance of probability that someone stopped him from making x dollars.

[Strange Brew]

He has a few cards to play. No organization wants to go through a litigation process that revolves around them being accused of minimizing or suppressing racist incidents.

There will never be a court case of course.

IMO organizations of any type should be held accountable for this. Why not shine a light on who knew what when it happened?

[GioforPM]

He has a causation issue as well as a limitations issue. However, I agree there may be some “go away” money involved.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by browna

Does he need a high profile lawyer to be able to be that advocate, if that's what he really wants?

Kaepernick's lawyer, new as of this year, is just a celeb lawyer, same guy who Defending Jesse Smollett all the way back to Michael Jackson and many celeb cases in between. Kaepernick has already settled his formal collusion grievance with the league. So this representation now is more promotional in nature then about a specific case.

Therefore, IMO if Aliu's intention from this situation is to take this as a serious opportunity to examine the culture of hockey from a civil rights view and further that message to the league, he could make a better decision by hiring a high profile civil rights lawyer to assist, not take on a lawyer to the stars. He already has representation from the stories earlier in the week.

I don't know if this post makes the point that you think it is making.

[sureLoss]

Aliu and lawyer had their meeting with the NHL today:

Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC
Akim Aliu makes a brief statement: says he had a positive meeting with Gary Bettman and Bill Daly; says there will be big change coming and he’s looking forward to seeing it.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1201968238701232128

[Ashasx]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1201975506339545089

I've always been impressed with how Aliu carries himself. He's well spoken and gives a good interview. I remember how star struck he was after scoring his first goal with Iginla on the team.

Regardless of whether he rebelled against coaches or whoever in the past, he seems like a good and genuine person.

[Canuck-Hater]

The responses to that tweet just proves that something definitely needs to change. Ugly stuff.

[bax]

Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater

The responses to that tweet just proves that something definitely needs to change. Ugly stuff.

It's hard enough to believe that people actually think like that, let alone are okay going on twitter and posting it for all to us.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by bax

It's hard enough to believe that people actually think like that, let alone are okay going on twitter and posting it for all to us.

Twitter is a hell site where people can anonymously say whatever they want (unless you're a public figure with your name attached to your tweets, of course) so it shouldn't be surprising that you've got a mixture of trolls and people who don't like change showing up in the replies.

[soulchoice]

Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater

The responses to that tweet just proves that something definitely needs to change. Ugly stuff.

This is just a further example of how illogical, uneducated and stupid a large majority of people are. Nonsensical and without any intellect at all. I still shake my head at how many times I see same moronic question about why 10 years later. To go along with the other idiotic comments.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Twitter is a hell site where people can anonymously say whatever they want (unless you're a public figure with your name attached to your tweets, of course) so it shouldn't be surprising that you've got a mixture of trolls and people who don't like change showing up in the replies.

I think saying it's just a mixture of "trolls"or "people that don't like change" is downplaying things.

I feel like over the last couple years it's become more and more clear that a big pocket of people in this world are still just racist, sexist, and overall just ignorant people.

Twitter/Reddit etc is just the platform for those people to share there real feelings anonymously but that doesn't mean that those aren't the real feelings/beliefs of the people sharing them.

[Textcritic]

Did anyone catch this short discussion about Geoff Ward's coaching between Eric Francis and Ryan Leslie on SN960: Flames new bench boss brings refreshing style of coaching (It's the first link on the left side of the page.

Originally Posted by Eric Francis

"This is a guy whose coaching philosophy revolves almost entirely around empowering the players; listening to the players; getting feedback from the players so they can move together as a unit. He said something to us yesterday that I've never heard from a coach in my life, which is this is their program, and he was referring to the players.

"I had never heard that before. In hockey and sports in general generally the coaches are—it's a dictatorship: they say "Jump," and you say "How high?" Now players are asking, "Why should I jump?" and he wants to have the answers."

I like Geoff Ward.

[CroFlames]

Sounds like Geoff Ward is the Billy Bean equivalent of coaches.

Doing something totally new and different. There is evidence that shows leaders who empower their employees achieve better results. Let's wait and see if you apply that to hockey.