Aliu lands book deal on how he confronted racism in hockey

By JOHN WAWROW
AP Hockey Writer

Former pro hockey player Akim Aliu has a graphic novel in the works that tells his story and how he overcame racism and poverty. The 32-year-old Aliu was born in Nigeria to mixed-race parents and then lived in Ukraine before the family moved to Canada. Aliu’s allegations three years ago of being the target of racial slurs led to the resignation of Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters. They also forced the NHL to confront its treatment of players of color. Aliu’s story in a graphic novel memoir for school-aged children will be released in February.