Offseason Notes: Peters, Pacioretty, Voronkov
In a surprising turn of events, controversial head coach, Bill Peters, has landed a new coaching role in North America. Making his way back to the Western Hockey League, Peters will find himself manning the bench of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for the 2023-24 WHL season. Peters had spent the last several years coaching the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL after an unceremonious end to his time with the Calgary Flames in 2019.
As a reminder, back during the 2019-20 season, former player Akim Aliu, accused Peters of anti-Black racism when the two had been together in 2010 with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. More specifically, Aliu lambasted Peters’ usage of the ‘N’-word, as well as writing letters to Chicago Blackhawks management tarnishing Aliu’s future career. The NHL did execute an investigation into the matter, but those results have not been released to the public up to this point.
Salim Valji of TSN reported that a current coach, who remained nameless, had attempted to broker a conversation between himself and Peters, but Aliu declined. With the negative stories now associated with his coaching career, it is more than unlikely that Peters will ever coach in the NHL again, even in spite of the shocking development that he was been hired for a role in the WHL.
Other notes:
- Far be it from a confirmation, but the going notion is that new forward for the Washington Capitals, Max Pacioretty, will not be ready for opening night according to Jason Chen of The Hockey News. Even after suffering another Achilles tendon tear in January, Pacioretty was still able to land a one-year, $2MM contract from Washington this summer. If he is able to rebound in any meaningful way, he would certainly become a solid secondary scoring option for the Capitals down the stretch.
- Although he spent his last four professional seasons in the KHL, a prospect for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dmitry Voronkov, will report to the team for training camp in September (X Link). Originally the 114th selection in the 2019 NHL Draft for Columbus, Voronkov became quite the goal scorer in the KHL last year. In 54 games played, the young forward would have 18 goals and 13 assists, showing that he is ready to continue his professional career in North America next season.
Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Sign Sam Lafferty
After making a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Sam Lafferty, the Pittsburgh Penguins have now come to terms on a contract extension with the young forward. The team has announced a two-year, $1.5MM contract for Lafferty. The 25-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires following the 2021-22 season.
While Lafferty’s new $750K AAV is actually a reduction from his prior NHL cap hit of $768K, it is a one-way contract that promises the local product more guaranteed money than his entry-level deal. Lafferty’s low cap hit will also make him a more valuable asset to the cap-strapped Penguins this year. Lafferty played 50 games with Pittsburgh in his rookie season, recording 13 points, and he will look to win and retain a full-time role again next season. If he can provide positive contributions on a consistent basis, the Penguins will appreciate his affordable impact.
Lafferty is still waivers-exempt and could potentially be sent down to the AHL,but it is a safe bet that he is in Pittsburgh for good. GM Jim Rutherford stated the following in the team’s press release announcing Lafferty’s extension: “We have been very pleased with Sam’s development. His size and speed are big advantages in today’s game, and we like what he brings to our lineup.”
Akim Aliu Signs In Czech Republic
The last several months have been a whirlwind for Akim Aliu, after a tweet went viral accusing former Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters of using a racial slur during their time in the Rockford IceHogs organization. Through all the media attention, interviews and meetings with hockey leadership, Aliu has maintained that he is still pursuing a professional career as a player and has not given up on his dream of suiting up in the NHL. Today, Aliu has signed with HC Litvinov in the Czech Extraliga for the rest of the 2019-20 season.
The 30-year old forward has been involved in several controversies over the years, including a hazing incident in junior hockey that he believes hurt his chances in the NHL Entry Draft. Aliu would still be selected 56th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007, but failed to ever get any real traction even in the minor leagues. There were seven NHL games spread across two seasons with the Calgary Flames, but the power forward has spent most of the last few years either overseas or in the ECHL.
While he continues his playing career, Aliu has also now become a figurehead for the NHL’s push to bring hockey to youth that might not normally have an opportunity to play the sport. He sat down with a one-on-one interview with Hockey Night In Canada’s Ron MacLean just a few days ago, to explain what he has gone through since sending that tweet.