Colorado Eagles Employee Wore Blackface to Dress as Akim Aliu at 2011 Team Halloween Party

Douglas DeFelice/USA Today Sports

Colorado Eagles equipment manager Tony Deynzer put on blackface, wore an Afro-style wig and donned a team jersey to dress up as Akim Aliu in 2011, according to a report on racism in hockey by the Wall Street Journal's Andrew Beaton. 

"I didn't even grasp the idea of how vicious of a thing that is to do," Aliu told the Wall Street Journal.

Aliu recently spoke up to allege that former Flames and Hurricanes coach Bill Peters used a racial slur towards him while Peters was his coach in the AHL. 

Deynzer, who remains employed by the club but was placed on administrative leave after the article was published, did not respond to the Wall Street Journal's request for comment. A photo of Dsyner in the costume, posing with Aliu at the Halloween party was published in the article.

The team told WSJ that they had "absolutely no knowledge of this event." The team also released a statement on Twitter apologizing to Aliu. 

Aliu played in 10 games for the Eagles in 2011. The club was in the ECHL at the time and has since moved to the AHL level. 

Last month, Aliu, a Nigerian-born former NHL winger, accused Peters of calling him the n-word when Peters was his coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Aliu's account was corroborated by two former teammates to TSN. Former Hurricanes defenseman Michal Jordán accused Peters of physical abuse before the coach resigned from the Calgary Flames on Nov. 29.

Aliu has met with NHL officials and commissioner Gary Bettman to address the issues. Deynzer's blackface incident was also mentioned. The league has created a mandatory diversity and inclusion program for coaches and staff members while reiterating there was "zero tolerance" toward abusive behavior.