Bill Peters named head coach of Lethbridge Hurricanes

[FireGilbert]

Still a strange decision by the Canes. Seems like they wanted the good PR associated with hiring a former NHL coach but without considering the bad PR that would come with it.

Why not just hire a younger coach with no baggage?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Still a strange decision by the Canes. Seems like they wanted the good PR associated with hiring a former NHL coach but without considering the bad PR that would come with it.

Why not just hire a younger coach with no baggage?

Because they have almost nothing to lose.

By all accounts Bill Peters is, on occasion, a pretty good coach. If a WHL team has a chance to hire an NHL rated coach they're going to take it.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

It’s impossible for us to know if any apology from Peters is sincere. Feels like it’s mostly a lesson in good vs bad PR. For that reason I have a hard time letting it slide even if he claims to be apologetic. But we won’t know for sure if he’s grown unless he gets another chance. I’m not above letting a guy try and redeem himself.

Me too, but coaching a WHL team isn’t necessarily the path to redemption for Bill Peters. So he wins a Memorial Cup, he’s redeemed?

Him coaching hockey to bunch of white kids isn’t really about redemption IMO. But you’re right, hard for us to ever really know if he has changed. It’s just that none of this feels very good given the information that is out there.

[PepsiFree]

He won’t really “redeem” himself until he makes it right with Akim and the other players he abused along the way.

It’s not like it would be particularly hard for someone to learn from their mistakes when they know those mistakes cost them their job, without becoming any better of a person. He’s learned not to say the n-word or kick players if he wants to keep his job. Congrats, what a difficult lesson to learn. Who among us could manage such a difficult lesson?

[Eric Vail]

I guess Peters could go out of his way to bring in some racially diverse players to his team and then give they every opportunity to succeed. That would show he has learned.

I am skeptical we will see that.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

And threads are scarce commodities. We can't start a new one when a confusingly titled 18 month old thread exists. Or photon's servers will explode, or something even more dire.

God, one of my biggest pet peeves on CP. Posters put more effort into finding 1-4 year old threads than just starting a new one with a quick explanation.

This is the prime example of the silliness on this site, where for some reason new threads are treated as commodities. Like why on earth would you bump a thread that says Peters is signing with a new team when the thread states he's close to signing with a different team in an entirely different league from over a year ago? Just bonkers stuff.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by iggyloob12

4. Certain CPers seemingly think it’s OK / less objectionable for non-Black people to say the n-word if someone is complaining about rap in a dressing room—or singing along to rap songs.

CP is a higher earning, aging, white message board for the most part. I take anything spoken here about minorities and low income citizens/issues with a grain of salt the size of Texas, lol.

And when those discussions take place here, I feel vindicated in how I take this place.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

I guess Peters could go out of his way to bring in some racially diverse players to his team and then give they every opportunity to succeed. That would show he has learned.

I am skeptical we will see that.

That seems counter productive now you get into him bringing in diverse players just to show he's changed and potentially taking away spots from people who deserve it.

The whole anti-racism and sensitivity training thing seems off like what happens here. Kyrie Irving went to the same training for his hate speech against Jewish people and in about a few weeks he was apparently fine.

The press release makes it seem like Bill is still doing work not sure but that's troubling if true.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by jayswin

CP is a higher earning, aging, white message board for the most part. I take anything spoken here about minorities and low income citizens/issues with a grain of salt the size of Texas, lol.

And when those discussions take place here, I feel vindicated in how I take this place.

Yeah CP is very first-world, privileged issues focused.

The problem is there isn't nearly as much empathy or empathizing with those who've had a very different experience of the world than that which many here enjoy as one would hope.

Appears there's a good number who probably relate more closely with Bill than with Akim, because they don't understand Akim's POV and probably can't begin to. Given the demographic, many here probably know and work with people who shared Peters' attitudes. But you would hope that they can wrap their minds around it being wrong to victim blame here or be so quick to give Peters the benefit of the doubt when he was found unfit to be a coach through the review that was conducted (by his friends and colleagues).

Some here speak like he did no wrong, chalking it up to the disdain for rap just being a normal boomer thing. But "normal" 20 years ago was ass backwards and rife with bigotry. Such an attitude demonstrates the precise kind of dismissal and neglect that allowed young players to be abused and young players of colour to be subjected to racism under the radar of the old system that was that way until just recently.

It's important to recognize the faults in what used to be a surreptitiously toxic normal, and why it's being brought into the spotlight now.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Locke

Because they have almost nothing to lose.

By all accounts Bill Peters is, on occasion, a pretty good coach. If a WHL team has a chance to hire an NHL rated coach they're going to take it.

Actually they have a lot to lose, like potentially every sponsor they have. I believe one reason they waited so long for the announcement was because they have already sold their sponsorships for this year, and hope all will be forgotten by the time selling sponsorships for next season rolls around. The team will also be under the microscope by media and the public as long as Peters is coaching.

One member of the Hurricanes Board of Governors has also stepped down because of the hiring. https://x.com/stirlingmayor/status/1...255174103?s=46

There is also the possibility of players/ parents refusing to play for the coach and organization. That being said, I’ve heard nothing but excitement from the prospects, players and parents.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Me too, but coaching a WHL team isn’t necessarily the path to redemption for Bill Peters. So he wins a Memorial Cup, he’s redeemed?

Him coaching hockey to bunch of white kids isn’t really about redemption IMO. But you’re right, hard for us to ever really know if he has changed. It’s just that none of this feels very good given the information that is out there.

What? No. Winning isn’t what will redeem him. That has nothing to do with it. I can’t even imagine why you would make that connection.

He will prove he’s changed by learning from his mistakes and treating all his players with respect. Even then, we’ll never really know. Maybe it’s all a facade. How do you know if it’s genuine? But at some point you have to let actions speak louder than words and trust that it’s legit.

[Strange Brew]

So there are maybe two or three posters here who seem to be lacking empathy for Aliu. It’s a little much to be painting the CP community as a bunch of “privileged white people”. In my experience, those who like to make such broad generalizations aren’t nearly as enlightened as they think they are.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

What? No. Winning isn’t what will redeem him. That has nothing to do with it. I can’t even imagine why you would make that connection.

He will prove he’s changed by learning from his mistakes and treating all his players with respect. Even then, we’ll never really know. Maybe it’s all a facade. How do you know if it’s genuine? But at some point you have to let actions speak louder than words and trust that it’s legit.

Sure but my point is that why does he need this opportunity to prove he has “redeemed” himself? Your original post said we won’t know for sure until he is given a chance and my argument is that redemption for his actions doesn’t require landing this kind of job. Peters has had every opportunity for redemption if that is what he truly cares about. I mentioned winning because that is in fact the only reason he was hired for this job.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

So there are maybe two or three posters here who seem to be lacking empathy for Aliu. It’s a little much to be painting the CP community as a bunch of “privileged white people”. In my experience, those who like to make such broad generalizations aren’t nearly as enlightened as they think they are.

It can seem frustrating that for every conversation that has to do with bullying, racism, homophobia, etc., those two or three people always show up (and sometimes it’s the same people when it’s a similar topic, a few posters seem attracted to diminishing any incidence of racism, for example), but you’re right in that CP always outflanks those people with good folks. And whenever someone gets truly over the top and hateful, mods always step in. For a bunch of privileged white people, we’re an alright community.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Frankly I think it is shocking that Peters got another chance. Especially with young men in a development league that promotes how much they do to develop the character of the players as well as the hockey player. As for Aliu I don't think that Peters was the reason that he didn't have much of a career in the NHL, I think he just wasn't good enough and wasn't able to crack the AHL roster as a scorer. Does that change the awful crap that Peters did. Not in the least but I don't know if the narrative that Aliu was kept out of the NHL by Peters really holds much water IMO at least.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Frankly I think it is shocking that Peters got another chance. Especially with young men in a development league that promotes how much they do to develop the character of the players as well as the hockey player. As for Aliu I don't think that Peters was the reason that he didn't have much of a career in the NHL, I think he just wasn't good enough and wasn't able to crack the AHL roster as a scorer. Does that change the awful crap that Peters did. Not in the least but I don't know if the narrative that Aliu was kept out of the NHL by Peters really holds much water IMO at least.

At best you could say we'll never know because Peters did take steps to end his career.

[Jimdon]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Frankly I think it is shocking that Peters got another chance. Especially with young men in a development league that promotes how much they do to develop the character of the players as well as the hockey player. As for Aliu I don't think that Peters was the reason that he didn't have much of a career in the NHL, I think he just wasn't good enough and wasn't able to crack the AHL roster as a scorer. Does that change the awful crap that Peters did. Not in the least but I don't know if the narrative that Aliu was kept out of the NHL by Peters really holds much water IMO at least.

What a great take by someone who knows absolutely nothing about what they are commenting on.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jimdon

What a great take by someone who knows absolutely nothing about what they are commenting on.

I dunno. I think he has a point.

If Aliu was going to be a major player I dont think someone like Bill Peters could have done anything to derail his career.

Peters might have derailed Aliu's mindset or something, but blaming the failure of your career on one person who cant possibly have that much NHL clout? I dont know. Something about that seems off to me.

I agree with jayswin...at best, we'll never really know. But blaming one guy for all your problems? That doesnt really jive with me.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Locke

I dunno. I think he has a point.

If Aliu was going to be a major player I dont think someone like Bill Peters could have done anything to derail his career.

Peters might have derailed Aliu's mindset or something, but blaming the failure of your career on one person who cant possibly have that much NHL clout? I dont know. Something about that seems off to me.

I agree with jayswin...at best, we'll never really know. But blaming one guy for all your problems? That doesnt really jive with me.

I think you mean “jibe” with you.

[Jimdon]

Originally Posted by Locke

I dunno. I think he has a point.

If Aliu was going to be a major player I dont think someone like Bill Peters could have done anything to derail his career.

Peters might have derailed Aliu's mindset or something, but blaming the failure of your career on one person who cant possibly have that much NHL clout? I dont know. Something about that seems off to me.

I agree with jayswin...at best, we'll never really know. But blaming one guy for all your problems? That doesnt really jive with me.

Having a coach that called you a n**ger and demeaned you in front of your teammates couldn't suck the ambition and drive you had to be successful?

If he was really a star and had more talent that shouldn't have mattered?

What if that was your kid? That's the advice you'd give them? "Well it shouldn't matter as long as you're good at hockey, that'll show them".