ICYMI: Akim Aliu accuses former NHL player of being a “racist sociopath.”

Former National Hockey League forward Akim Aliu was a player that the overwhelming majority of hockey fans were entirely unaware of until just recently, but it is clear now that Aliu is working hard to once again insert himself into the world of hockey.

Aliu made national headlines when he came out and accused former NHL head coach Bill Peters of exhibiting racist behavior towards him in the early days of his career as professional hockey player. The impact of Aliu's comments was felt almost immediately as just a few short days after Aliu spoke publicly about the issues he had faced in hockey Peters was unceremoniously fired by the Calgary Flames organization and has now taken on a coaching role in an entirely different league, the Kontinental Hockey League. 

I must admit I thought that would be the last we had heard of Aliu's story, but last week the former NHL forward once again made headlines with his comments, this time making some extremely harsh accusations against a former NHL player. In an article he penned for the Players Tribune Aliu called former NHL player Steve Downie a "racist sociopath" based on the way that Downie treated him during their time together in the Ontario Hockey League. Aliu says Downie attacked him after he refused to participate in a hazing ritual, and based on his side of the story it sounds like a pretty nasty attack on the part of Downie.

From Aliu:

That same kid — the guy who went on to play over 400 NHL games — came up to me a few days after I refused to take part in his horrific ritual and tapped me on the shoulder during a practice. I turned, and he shoved his fiberglass stick through my mouth. I lost seven teeth in half a second. Blood gushing down my chest into my pants. And that was when I knew.

I don't want to have to defend Steve Downie here but I will say that at no point does Aliu indicate that Downie used any racial epithets or slurs against him, but appears to be basing his accusations against Downie on the fact that Downie simply did not like him. Aliu goes on to describe that Downie would do things like put tiger balm in his jockstrap or throw his clothes on a roof so he couldn't reach them, but that kind of behavior from Downie would appear to match the reputation that he would go on to carve out for himself in the NHL.

So far Downie himself has chosen not to comment on the allegations publicly.