I wouldn't say that, he said that "he (Bill Peters) wrote a letter to John McDonough and Stan Bowman to have me sent down to the ECHL". Stan and McD's involvement in this has yet to be fully disclosed.
- DarthKane

That’s fair. Involved rather than implicated.

No need to worry about standings being posted on this board. They only get posted when the Hawks are playing .333 hockey, and we will not see that again this year. The Hawks PK has allowed one goal in last five games, show me a good PK and I’ll show you a team that has a chance. We are playing much better defense, not great, but better, we now have some NHL Dmen on the team. What is stopping the Hawks from a run? Offense, do we have the capability to score goals? Did you all watch the second half of last season? If you think that Toews is going to score 14 goals this year, and Dcat 20, you will be proved wrong. Go Hawks!
- Angotti

It's tree tirty tree hockey ...

It's been nice reading another optimistic & reasonable opinion around these parts. You've been a welcome addition, newbie. Agreed, this is only the start, a slow start by some, but definitely some good things by this team.

That’s fair. Involved rather than implicated.
- scottak

Well if it is factual that Bill Peters wrote that letter and there was anything hinting at race in it and ALiu is sent down, they could have a big problem. I dont see Bowman and McD getting much slack on that as Buff was in the organization at the same time and soon after that Johnny O. Aliu was kind of a goof ball too.

I wouldn't say that, he said that "he (Bill Peters) wrote a letter to John McDonough and Stan Bowman to have me sent down to the ECHL". Stan and McD's involvement in this has yet to be fully disclosed.
- DarthKane

I think it would be good to hear from them on their perspective, though. Probably be pretty helpful for them to get out in front of it.

The Hawks have been so much better to watch this year when compared to the comedy show of last year. And, they have been improving as the season goes on. Still, the time of "moral" victories is starting to come to an end...and it is time to run off a 4 win in 5 game streak. Close is good, when just trying to compete...but have got to start grabbing some real points if we want to seriously look at a wild card spot. Dallas, Nashville, Blues, Jets, Avs....these teams are for real and if we don't "Man-up" and start beating these guys, we will be out by Christmas.

Start tonight. Grab 2 points...in regulation, even. And let's get this winning streak going!!!

I think it would be good to hear from them on their perspective, though. Probably be pretty helpful for them to get out in front of it.
- BINGO!

....especially with a second former Rockford player coming forward...

Sean McMorrow‏ @sheriffmcmorrow · 34m34 minutes ago


If you think Mike Commodore had harsh words for Babcock you are in for a treat to hear what I would have to say about Bill Peters ... Worst human being to ever coach me ... treated me terrible on a AHL team (IceHogs) where I won a League Award for Community Service. #badguy

Q wasn’t a retread and he hadn’t won a cup until he was hired here. Crawford is old school, very old school. He doesn’t have a clue how to coach against the new nhl and Q is also in the same boat.
- gifman

Well if JC is "new school"....how's that been working out?

And Q had won a cup as an assistant but came with criticism as well that he couldn't win with talent.

Not sure if Crawford is/isnt the answer. But there is something about a having a coach with bench management experience running things that can help put players in positions to succeed

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
*Saad and Kubilak played very well together earlier. This line could/should be paired up against other teams number 1 line. So even when Toews doesnt score, he still makes it difficult against other teams top centers

Debrincat-Strome-Kane
*Match up against any other line than the other teams top defensive forwards. When Hawks have last change, they shouldn't be put out vs the top D pair of opponents. Should be put out after icings when other team has had a long shift

Shaw-Dach-Nylander
*Play this line vs other teams 3rd-4th lines only. Shouldnt be out in D zone draws. Kane can be double shifted on RW with this line if/when needed

Smith/Caggulia- Kampf-Carpenter
*Can match up vs other teams 2nd best scoring line. Can take D zone draws. Shouldnt take too many Ozone draws/ especially after icings.

....especially with a second former Rockford player coming forward...

Sean McMorrow‏ @sheriffmcmorrow · 34m34 minutes ago


If you think Mike Commodore had harsh words for Babcock you are in for a treat to hear what I would have to say about Bill Peters ... Worst human being to ever coach me ... treated me terrible on a AHL team (IceHogs) where I won a League Award for Community Service. #badguy
- BINGO!

not looking great right now

Well my 20 game mark has come and gone and I still don't know what I think of this team. So I am giving it more time. Something is keeping me from moving to the ledge.
- kwolf68

Great goaltending is masking not so great talent.
to quote the great Dennis Green they are who we
thought they were

Well if it is factual that Bill Peters wrote that letter and there was anything hinting at race in it and ALiu is sent down, they could have a big problem. I dont see Bowman and McD getting much slack on that as Buff was in the organization at the same time and soon after that Johnny O. Aliu was kind of a goof ball too.
- nickmo2699

Dales fault for drafting him

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
*Saad and Kubilak played very well together earlier. This line could/should be paired up against other teams number 1 line. So even when Toews doesnt score, he still makes it difficult against other teams top centers

Debrincat-Strome-Kane
*Match up against any other line than the other teams top defensive forwards. When Hawks have last change, they shouldn't be put out vs the top D pair of opponents. Should be put out after icings when other team has had a long shift

Shaw-Dach-Nylander
*Play this line vs other teams 3rd-4th lines only. Shouldnt be out in D zone draws. Kane can be double shifted on RW with this line if/when needed

Smith/Caggulia- Kampf-Carpenter
*Can match up vs other teams 2nd best scoring line. Can take D zone draws. Shouldnt take too many Ozone draws/ especially after icings.
- PatShart

Like these lines a lot. I proposed the same lines last night with the slight tweak of Highmore playing 4th line until Caggiula returns from IR and having Smith as 13th forward rotating him in once in a while to keep his legs fresh.

Your reasoning for each line is very sound. I’d give this a go for a bit as these lines slot everyone appropriately and each line has a defined role with ability to contribute more than assigned.

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
*Saad and Kubilak played very well together earlier. This line could/should be paired up against other teams number 1 line. So even when Toews doesnt score, he still makes it difficult against other teams top centers

Debrincat-Strome-Kane
*Match up against any other line than the other teams top defensive forwards. When Hawks have last change, they shouldn't be put out vs the top D pair of opponents. Should be put out after icings when other team has had a long shift

Shaw-Dach-Nylander
*Play this line vs other teams 3rd-4th lines only. Shouldnt be out in D zone draws. Kane can be double shifted on RW with this line if/when needed

Smith/Caggulia- Kampf-Carpenter
*Can match up vs other teams 2nd best scoring line. Can take D zone draws. Shouldnt take too many Ozone draws/ especially after icings.
- PatShart

They did with Kampf, Saad has cooled off since being put with Toews. I still say put Kampf, Saad and Kubalik together as your line to go up against another teams first. Put Toews, Caggiula Shaw together, hopefully someone can develop chemistry with Toews this year, seems Caggiula has been the only one.

Great goaltending is masking not so great talent.
to quote the great Dennis Green they are who we
thought they were
- gazza53

I think we are a bubble team, and we do what bubble teams do, some nights we look like contenders, other nights we look like we are a lottery pick.

They did with Kampf, Saad has cooled off since being put with Toews. I still say put Kampf, Saad and Kubalik together as your line to go up against another teams first. Put Toews, Caggiula Shaw together, hopefully someone can develop chemistry with Toews this year, seems Caggiula has been the only one.
- LAHawk

Toews is better than Kampf (sorry, I know it may hurt feelings, but it is true)

Saad -Toews -Kubilak has not been put together.

Toews best role has always been against other teams top center, and he hasnt been matched up in that role since JC came in.

If they arent getting offense from 19, then put him back in the role he had the highest success in individually and the Hawks had as a team. Put him against the other teams top center all game and let him compete. Maybe 19 doesnt score, but I'm sure he'd take pride in holding say Aho off the scoresheet. And make it difficult all game for him to get an inch of ice. Instead, Toews was playing against Staal all game vs CAR - which was a waste.

Well if it is factual that Bill Peters wrote that letter and there was anything hinting at race in it and ALiu is sent down, they could have a big problem. I dont see Bowman and McD getting much slack on that as Buff was in the organization at the same time and soon after that Johnny O. Aliu was kind of a goof ball too.
- nickmo2699

Not sure “goofball” is necessarily correct - see his incident in Windsor:

https://www.google.com/am...y-hazing-big-read/sn-amp/

Not sure “goofball” is necessarily correct - see his incident in Windsor:

https://www.google.com/am...y-hazing-big-read/sn-amp/
- StLBravesFan

I was aware of the hazing story, but that article goes into details I wasn’t aware of.

Seems like a guy that doesn’t take any crap from others. To me that’s a positive trait.

This is going to get ugly. Probably for Peters, maybe for Babcock, and possibly for the Blackhawk organization. Employing a guy that was/is an asshat is never justifiable, no matter the result.

I was aware of the hazing story, but that article goes into details I wasn’t aware of.

Seems like a guy that doesn’t take any crap from others. To me that’s a positive trait.

This is going to get ugly. Probably for Peters, maybe for Babcock, and possibly for the Blackhawk organization. Employing a guy that was/is an asshat is never justifiable, no matter the result.
- scottak

What its gonna come down to is what if anything the Hawks knew about the treatment Peters had for his players. If Bowman or McD knew and brushed it under the rug, as much as we've all called for them to get fired for the team they've put together this may end up being the nail in their coffin's here in Chicago. It is curious that Peter's deal was up in '10 and he was let go and that was the same offseason the Hawks traded Aliu with Big Buff to Winnipeg.

JC is pretty clueless fwiw.

The fancy cats are second in their division and playing some decent hockey while getting mediocre goaltending. If Bob ever settles in they could be a dangerous team. Barkov is a monster.
- fattybeef

First, I was referring to Q as head coach.

If you look at Florida’s record in terms of wins and loses, most of their loses are against the “Carolina” system teams. With exception to Tampa, who have admitted they are switching to the Carolina system, So they are in transition.

Q can have a winning record and Bob sucks in the playoffs.

First, I was referring to Q as head coach.

If you look at Florida’s record in terms of wins and loses, most of their loses are against the “Carolina” system teams. With exception to Tampa, who have admitted they are switching to the Carolina system, So they are in transition.

Q can have a winning record and Bob sucks in the playoffs.
- gifman

Washington also changed the way they attacked 5-on-5 to be more like the Canes. Big part of why Carlson's numbers suddenly skyrocketed.

Well if JC is "new school"....how's that been working out?

And Q had won a cup as an assistant but came with criticism as well that he couldn't win with talent.

Not sure if Crawford is/isnt the answer. But there is something about a having a coach with bench management experience running things that can help put players in positions to succeed
- PatShart

It’s not his system, remember the veterans ditched it because it was their style. Actually the complained to the McDonut and he had it changed. So we face Carolina and Tampa who play the new style and we lose, during the current win streak.

Q reference was him as head coach.

If you didn’t see it, Marc Crawford was responsible for the the too many men on the ice call in OT. It was his job manage the line changes. JC gave him an ear full.

from TSN

I was aware of the hazing story, but that article goes into details I wasn’t aware of.

Seems like a guy that doesn’t take any crap from others. To me that’s a positive trait.

This is going to get ugly. Probably for Peters, maybe for Babcock, and possibly for the Blackhawk organization. Employing a guy that was/is an asshat is never justifiable, no matter the result.
- scottak

The Calgary Flames have issued a statement in response to allegations made by former player Akim Aliu on social media against head coach Bill Peters.

On Monday night, Aliu alleged on Twitter that Peters had directed a racial slur towards him “several times” while the two were together in the AHL. Aliu played for Peters when he was head coach of the Rockford IceHogs, Chicago’s AHL affiliate, for five games in the 2008-09 season and 48 games in 2009-10. Aliu also appeared in 13 games for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye in ’09-10.

In the series of tweets, Aliu didn’t mention Peters by name, but did refer to a “protégé” of Mike Babcock currently in Calgary. Peters served as Babcock’s assistant on Detroit’s bench for three years.

Sportsnet’s Eric Francis confirmed Flames GM Brad Treliving has been in contact with Aliu.

Having touched base with Flames GM Brad Treliving and Akim Aliu this morning I can report the two had a conversation regarding the latter’s racism allegation leveled at coach Bill Peters. You can bet the Flames investigation into this will be thorough.

— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) November 26, 2019

Treliving briefly addressed the media after Monday’s game between the Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins and said the team would be investigating the accusation internally before responding further.

“During tonight’s game I was made aware of a tweet from former player Akim Aliu,” Treliving said. “Obviously we were playing so I haven’t had a time to sit down with Bill or our people internally to talk about this and get to the bottom of it.

“I would say we take these matters very, very seriously.”

While general managers usually do not address the media after games coaches regularly do, but Peters did not make an appearance on Monday.

The NHL released a statement Tuesday addressing Aliu’s tweets.

NHL statement on last night’s social media posts by Akim Aliu. pic.twitter.com/aqS2h192QG

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 26, 2019

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...ill-peters-former-player/

The Blackhawks also released a statement that denied they had previously known about what Aliu is alleging.

“The alleged actions by a former coach toward Akim Aliu while with the Rockford IceHogs are something we take seriously. The purported incident had not been reported or brought to our attention prior to yesterday and had no effect on any player personnel decision regarding Mr. Aliu.”

It’s not his system, remember the veterans ditched it because it was their style. Actually the complained to the McDonut and he had it changed. So we face Carolina and Tampa who play the new style and we lose, during the current win streak.

Q reference was him as head coach.

If you didn’t see it, Marc Crawford was responsible for the the too many men on the ice call in OT. It was his job manage the line changes. JC gave him an ear full.
- gifman

Actually, they didnt complain to McD...so you shouldnt make stuff up in an attempt to make a point.

Them losing to CAR or TB had nothing to do with "the amazing carolina system that has never won anything". Sounds like the monetball of hockey where everyone "loves" the Oakland A's model of not winning anything

And if believe JC doesnt manage the lines... and the front office manages the system...what exactly does JC bring to the team of value?

Actually, they didnt complain to McD...so you shouldnt make stuff up in an attempt to make a point.

Them losing to CAR or TB had nothing to do with "the amazing carolina system that has never won anything". Sounds like the monetball of hockey where everyone "loves" the Oakland A's model of not winning anything

And if believe JC doesnt manage the lines... and the front office manages the system...what exactly does JC bring to the team of value?
- PatShart

Carolina's only been employing that system for one season and it took them to the east finals with a severely depleted roster.