Bill Peters didn’t help himself with pathetic ‘apology’

BOSTON — This has been a really interesting start to the NHL season — the wonders of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton, David Pastrnak on pace for about 100 goals in Boston, the drama with Mike Babcock in Toronto, the seemingly unnoticed historical run of the Islanders, even the legitimate contender in south Florida.

But then comes this week. Then comes the worst of the worst.

This fiasco with Bill Peters could not have been handled any worse. Good for Akim Aliu for outing Peters for using racist language — never OK, at any time, in any context. And good for former Hurricanes defenseman Michal Jordan for outing Peters as a physical abuser when he was the head coach in Carolina. And good for current Carolina coach and then-assistant Rod Brind’Amour for not sidestepping the issue.

“It definitely happened,” Brind’Amour said.

But goodness gracious, is there even a baseline of public relations knowledge with Peters’ decrepit “apology” released on Wednesday night? Forget public relations, how about human relations?

First he qualifies his admission by saying he used “offensive language in a professional setting a decade ago” — like it would be just fine now? Then he lied about immediately returning to the dressing room and apologizing to the team. Then comes the kicker, the one line that anyone who has had to apologize before knows is the worst thing you can say: “I also apologize to anyone negatively affected by my words.”

That is straight victim shaming. That is not an apology; it’s the opposite. It’s a declaration that you believe you’ve done nothing wrong and that somehow the problem is the fault of the people who are offended. It’s despicable.

I guess it’s fine that the Flames are taking their time in reviewing the whole thing. At least they didn’t let him coach. But a couple tweets from a minor leaguer ended Bill Peters’ career. It couldn’t have come soon enough.

Yet there is some good to come out of this. Aliu coming forward has brought to light some of the terrible things that people in hockey have been sitting on for a while. Georges Laraque relayed the racism he and his family dealt with in junior hockey, and other victims of physical abuse from coaches have also come forward. Even venerable Bruins captain Zdeno Chara made a point to say that the culture of his club is inclusive and rookie hazing is not a thing. That should be a universal rule.

Maybe our culture has become a little too litigious, a little oversensitive, a little too coddling. But abuse is abuse, whether it’s physical or verbal. And there is no place in any sport for that, just like there is no longer a place in hockey for Bill Peters.

Speaking of safety…

We get our first atrocity of the season from the Department of Player Safety, which somehow suspended Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo only four games for what would be repeated criminal assault in the real world. First he cross-checks Viktor Arvidsson to the ice, rightfully gets called for the penalty, and then decided to cross-check the vulnerable Predators forward twice more while he is on the ice. Arvidsson is injured and out 4-6 weeks.

Mind you, Bortuzzo did something very similar to the Islanders’ Brock Nelson in 2017 — one of his two career fines for cross-checking — and then was suspended when he elbowed the Capitals’ Michal Kempny in the 2018 preseason. So four games, that ought to show him, right? Really drive home the point that deliberately and maliciously trying to injure another player isn’t going to be tolerated?

This has to be one of the most egregious suspensions in the past few years.

Friendly boost

Can’t think of the last time I saw a player get a boost from a teammate and have it actually work out. Well, old buddy J.T. Miller got just that to stop this breakaway on Monday night.

Know who’s good?

A new segment to The Backcheck, pointing out some players seen over the past week who deserve more attention. Like the Hurricanes’ Warren Foegele. His line with Jordan Staal and Nino “No Assists in 55 Games” Niederreiter was a pretty good unit on Wednesday night in the Garden.

Stay tuned …

… to your weekly Connor McDavid highlight. Never hard to find.

Parting shot

Ryan Whitney, who might be more famous for his pretty funny “Spittin’ Chicklets” podcast than for his nine-year NHL career, partnered with New Amsterdam vodka to create a new product — the Pink Whitney. A review from slow-footed enforcer John Scott, constantly calling him “Ray” Whitney? Couldn’t be funnier.