Bill Peters is out as Calgary Flames coach, four days after a former player came forward and said the coach directed racial epithets toward him while they were in the minors 10 years ago.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, Flames general manager Brad Treliving said Peters resigned.

"Effective immediately, Bill Peters is no longer a member of the Calgary Flames organization," Treliving said.

Flames coach Bill Peters acknowledged in a letter of apology on Wednesday that he used offensive language in dealing with a Nigerian-born player 10 years ago in the minors.

GM Brad Treliving confirmed receipt of the letter, which was first posted on Twitter by TSN, a Canadian sports cable network, during the third period of Calgary's 3-2 overtime victory at Buffalo. Treliving would only say the Flames are reviewing the letter as part of their continuing investigation into Peters, and that the GM could have an update as early as Thursday.

Flames general manager Brad Treliving announced Tuesday that coach Bill Peters has not been fired, citing an ongoing investigation into whether Peters directed racial slurs toward a former player.

Treliving cited the "serious nature" of the investigation, saying that the Flames "take it with extreme seriousness."

Sportsnet reported earlier Tuesday that the Flames had fired Peters, but Treliving told reporters he "has not been relieved of his duties; we are continuing this ongoing investigation right now."

New Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe spent a decent chunk of a 30-minute morning skate Thursday teaching instead of running drills.

The 39-year-old Keefe is now in charge of the Maple Leafs after veteran coach Mike Babcock was fired Wednesday with the team mired in a six-game losing streak. That streak was snapped Thursday, with the Leafs posting a 3-1 win over the Coyotes in Keefe's debut.

Hours earlier, Keefe was officially introduced as the 31st head coach in the franchise's history. He has a long history with general manager Kyle Dubas, who hopes Keefe is the right choice to help Toronto bounce back from a disappointing 9-10-4 start.

"We've got a lot of talent and the ability to make life hard on the other team in a lot of ways," he said. "Focusing on that, we believe, will produce positive results. Because the players are good enough for that to happen."

The Toronto Maples Leafs have fired Mike Babcock as head coach.

Brendan Shanahan, who hired Babcock in 2015, flew to Arizona on Wednesday to break the news along with general manager Kyle Dubas

"It wasn't an easy conversation to have and it wasn't pleasant, days like today are not," Shanahan said in Scottsdale, Arizona. "But it was what we felt was important for the club. Once you realize there's something you should do, and have to do, then it's best to act on it."

Left winger Ilya Kovalchuk was a healthy scratch for the Los Angeles Kings against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, and general manager Rob Blake refused to say how long the veteran will be out of the lineup.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league plans to return to Europe for games in the next two years.

Citing huge demand, Bettman said on Friday that the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators will open the regular season next year with a game in Prague. The Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play a couple of games in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.

The sputtering Chicago Blackhawks could take a look at another one of their top prospects when they face the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Adam Boqvist practiced alongside Duncan Keith on Friday and worked with the team's second power-play unit. The 19-year-old defenseman was selected by Chicago with the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft and was recalled from the minors Thursday.