You know the story by now and are aware that it involves more than just head coach Bill Peters.
Peters has been accused of making racist remarks at former player Akim Aliu during the 2009-10 season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. On top of that, Frank Seravelli of TSN revealed more, using the comments of former Carolina Hurricanes players who were coached by Peters and it seems like there was also an abuse issue.
Former Canaes player Michal Jordan confirms to TSN that there were “multiple” physical altercations between Peters and players in Carolina. The current head coach of the Hurricanes, Rod Brind’Amour has confirmed to team insider Sara Civ that abuse had taken place under Peters in Carolina and completely supports from speaking out against it.
“It definitely happened,“ Brind’Amour said of the allegations that Peters kicked Jordan and punched another Canes player in the head on the bench.
It was also revealed that players and Hurricanes staff made then-Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis aware of what was happening. But nothing changed.
Francis, who is now the general manager of the unnamed Seattle NHL team, has yet to respond to a request for a comment by the Seattle Times.
Former Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos said Wednesday night he’d have fired coach Peters “in a nanosecond” had Francis at the time made him aware of physical-abuse allegations being levied by players.
“I’m pretty upset,” said Karmanos, who sold the club in 2017 and says he just learned of the incidents this week through media. “And I have my calls in to Ronnie as well. I think he’s the one who’s going to have to tell people what he did when he found out that the coach had done these things.’’
This could mean trouble for the general manager of the new expansion team, especially if legal matters get more intense.
Francis could either get involved in this mess after he dragged himself into it. To be continued…
