EDMONTON -- After recent accusations of racism, physical and mental abuse, many teams, including the Oilers, are re-examining the culture of the sport.
“You never want to hear those things happen in our sport,” said Oilers forward Sam Gagner. “I think it’s important for us as a culture to continue to grow and continue to improve.”
“I know how I wanted to be treated when I was a player and I want to treat people with respect. That’s the way I look at it,” said Oilers Head Coach Dave Tippett.
Former Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters was accused of making racist comments towards player Akim Aliu 10 years ago.
Aliu met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly about the accusations.
Chicago Blackhawks Assistant Coach Marc Crawford is under investigation over “his conduct with another organization” according to the NHL.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock was accused of being abusive by former Red Wings player Johan Franzen while they worked together in Detroit.
“You know you see different things as you go along,” said Gagner. “I've been pretty fortunate to play for some good coaches who show a lot of respect and you know it’s a two-way street.”
Gagner said that he thinks the sport and the organization both need to keep evolving so they can improve.
“We just have to continue to move forward and hopefully the game 10 years from now is better than it is today.”
With files from CTV Edmonton’s Adam Cook
