Akim Aliu pulls back the curtain on hockey culture in honest "Players' Tribune" piece

In a new piece in the Players’ Tribune, former NHL player Akim Aliu opens up about the devastating racial and physical abuse he endured as he tried to climb the ranks of professional hockey.

Aliu first spoke openly about the racism directed at him from his minor league coaches, notably former Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters, in 2019. His story, combined with others, has helped usher in a slow reckoning of the sport’s toxic culture that allows for rampant racism, misogyny, bullying and homophobia.

In his essay for the Players’ Tribune Aliu shares more stories about his time in the minor league, reliving the bullying and indifference of a culture that prizes conformity above all else.

Canada is a big place with all sorts of people. And lots of people who don’t look like me or my dad. When I was 11, at a tournament in Quebec, I saw a part of Canada I didn’t know existed.

I can still hear this guy’s voice in my head. He had that French Canadian accent.

“How many times are we going to let this n***** score?”

His voice just punched through the air in the rink. I heard him as clear as day.

And nothing happened, really. The game went on, none of my teammates or coaches said anything to me. I didn’t expect them to. I didn’t fully understand the weight of what had just happened. I just looked up and down the bench. I was the only black boy.

Alone.

It is a difficult read, but necessary to openly confront the issues that plague the sport. In his article, Aliu talks about the way sport’s culture, established in youth hockey at a very early age, infiltrates everything and how he knew that once he decided to stand up for himself, and push back against the open racism, it was over for him. He speaks candidly about AHL coaches holding undeserved power, and the torment they can bring to young players lives.

That’s how it goes for so many players who operate in fear of the hockey machine. Even at the pro level. How many players speak out about any issues? Barely any. Everyone tiptoes around every little thing because they’re petrified about being an outcast. For every player who acts a little different or has any personality whatsoever, whether it’s a Henrik Lundqvist or a David Pastrnak, there are hundreds who look different and whose ‘quirks’ are looked down on by their coaches because they aren’t white. They get told to cut the crap or get lost. So they get lost. And that’s what happened to me.

Aliu’s words and stories though don’t remain in the past. There’s a direct line that can be drawn from the stories he’s sharing to recent events in the NHL. Aliu mentions the racial taunting prospect K’andre Miller received, but it can also be seen in Brendan Leipsic’s misogynistic group chats and the Avalanche’s Colin Wilson admitting that using Pride Tape during a game would get him chirped at by his fellow teammates.

They are reminders of a culture where bullying, misogyny and racism exist in a way that needs to be untangled from the sport.

Aliu also notes that change can’t start at the NHL level, but has to start at the entry level, where most of the culture is ingrained in young players. His story is just another, much needed reminder that hockey still has a long way to go before it can be considered for everyone.