The Calgary Flames did their best to distance themselves from the controversy swirling around head coach Bill Peters.
Matthew Tkachuk started his media availability Wednesday morning by stating he would only take questions about hockey ahead of the teamB次元官网网址檚 game against the Buffalo Sabres.
The other two Flames trotted out were brief, at best, with their answers on a tumultuous stretch that began when a former player when both were in the minors 10 years ago.
Then another former player alleged Peters kicked him and punched a teammate when they were all with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Flames are attempting to keep things tight to the vest as they continue their investigation, but one of PetersB次元官网网址� former assistants added to the intense scrutiny at the other end of New York state.
Hurricanes head coach Rod BrindB次元官网网址橝mour, who spent four seasons behind CarolinaB次元官网网址檚 bench with Peters, confirmed his boss confronted players in a physical manner.
B次元官网网址淚t for sure happened, the two issues that are in question,B次元官网网址� BrindB次元官网网址橝mour told reporters in New York before his teamB次元官网网址檚 game against the Rangers.
Former Hurricanes defenceman Michal Jordan, who now plays overseas, made the allegation Tuesday on Twitter.
B次元官网网址淣ever wish anything bad to the person but you get what you deserve Bill,B次元官网网址� Jordan said. B次元官网网址淜icking me and punching other player to the head during the game then pretending like nothing happenedB次元官网网址ouldnB次元官网网址檛 believe my eyes.B次元官网网址�
That came on the heels of MondayB次元官网网址檚 explosive tweets from another former NHLer, Akim Aliu, who wrote that Peters directed racial slurs towards him when both were with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League in 2009-10.
Born in Nigeria and raised in Ukraine and Canada, Aliu never referred to Peters by name, but used CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 airport code B次元官网网址淵YCB次元官网网址� when writing about the alleged coach who B次元官网网址渄ropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didnB次元官网网址檛 like my choice of music.B次元官网网址�
Aliu has not responded to interview requests from The Canadian Press.
While he confirmed JordanB次元官网网址檚 story, BrindB次元官网网址橝mour said he was B次元官网网址減roudB次元官网网址� of the way those incidents were handled by both the players and management.
B次元官网网址淚t was definitely dealt with, in my opinion, correctly,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e definitely moved past that.B次元官网网址�
Peters, meanwhile, remains employed by the Flames, but isnB次元官网网址檛 currently with the team.
Flames general manager Brad Treliving, who is conducting the investigation, was not made available to reporters Wednesday.
The allegations levied against Peters and the revelation of some questionable motivational tactics used by former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock have raised questions about how people in positions of power deal with players in todayB次元官网网址檚 game.
The Toronto Sun and Postmedia reported Babcock, who was fired last week, asked a rookie to draw up a list during the 2016-17 season that ranked his teammates from hardest- to least-hardest working. Babcock then shared that list with some of the veterans at the bottom of the ledger.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
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