Bill Peters is heading to the Western Hockey League to coach the Lethbridge Hurricanes next season, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported on Wednesday morning.

Peters resigned in disgrace from the Calgary Flames in 2019 in just his second season with the franchise. It was reported that the 58-year-old made racial comments towards Akim Aliu with the American Hockey League's Rockford Ice Hogs during the 2009-10 campaign.

Aliu alleged that Peters “dropped the N'bomb several times towards me in my rookie year because he didn't like my choice of music,” per Wyshynski. Shortly after, former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Michal Jordan alleged that Peters kicked him while the two were together in Raleigh.

Peters admitted that the incident with Aliu did happen, penning a letter of apology and calling it a “moment of frustration.”

“Although it was an isolated and immediately regrettable incident, I take responsibility for what I said,” Peters wrote in the letter.

The Hurricanes have a press event set for Wednesday morning where they will unveil Peters as the new head coach of the franchise, in front of league commissioner Ron Robinson and president of the team's board of directors Doug Paisley, along with other team executives.

Article Continues Below
More NHL News
image thumbnail
3 best destinations for Stars’ Jason Robertson amid growing trade buzzTristin McKinstry ·
Atlanta Thrashers center Bryan Little (10) celebrates scoring a goal against the Ottawa Senators with right wing Blake Wheeler (26) and defenseman Zach Bogosian (4) in the second period at Philips Arena.
Proposed Atlanta NHL arena gains approval, sparking expansion buzzTristin McKinstry ·
Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen (42) skates past Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) in the third period in game one of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.
Oilers-Panthers Game 3 descends into chaos amid line brawlScotty White ·
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitch Marner (16) jumps during the warmup before a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Scotiabank Arena.
RUMOR: The ‘high bidder’ for Mitch Marner in free agencyAlex House ·
Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr.
25 greatest NHL players of all time, rankedNate Duffett ·
National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media before game one of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman optimistic NHL, NHLPA can avoid lockoutMiguel La Torre ·

Peters most recently coached the KHL's Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg in Russia's top-flight league, but was fired in November of 2021 after a year and a half with the team. He most recently worked as an executive with the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Aliu, who is one of the founders of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, says that the incident over a decade ago ruined his career before it started. He claimed that Peters only apologized to him in order to put himself in better standing for future job opportunities.

Following the allegations, additional disturbing revelations that he kicked and punched players while on the bench with the Hurricanes surfaced. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour confirmed that the incident happened, and that “management handled it directly and never heard of it again.”

It will certainly be intriguing to see how Bill Peters is welcomed in Lethbridge, Alberta after his disgraceful NHL exit four years ago.