Akim Aliu is fine with Bill Peters finding new job, wants others to have that opportunity
Akim Aliu, the former NHL player whose accusation led to the resignation of Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters, has no problem with Peters landing a new job, saying, "I believe in second chances for everyone."
"I don’t resent a man for finding work, but I will fight to make sure those same opportunities are available to everyone, on and off the ice, regardless of race or ethnicity," Aliu tweeted Thursday.
The Nigerian-born Aliu, who revealed last fall that Peters had used a racial slur in his presence a decade earlier, was responding to news that the coach signed a two-year deal with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the Kontinental Hockey League.
Aliu had told the Canadian television network TSN that he was playing for the Rockford (Illinois) Ice Hogs in 2009-10 when Peters addressed him about his music selections in the dressing room and used the slur.
Others came forward to say Peters had struck them. The Flames accepted the coach's resignation on Nov. 29.
“I think as time goes on we all grow and improve and become better versions of ourselves, and I’m no different than that. You learn from all the experiences that you’re in, and you become better,” Peters said Wednesday during a video conference call with Russian media after his hiring.
Aliu said he was looking forward to the outcome of the NHL’s investigation into Peters.
"Only with past behind us can we focus on the future," Aliu said. "That means bringing hockey to underprivileged youth in order to make the game more diverse, affordable and accessible to all regardless of race, gender and economic background."
Contributing: The Associated Press