Caps prospect Alex Alexeyev has now waded into the controversial waters of misconduct and abuse by authority figures in the hockey world. Alexeyev played three season for the Red Deer Rebels under head coach and GM Brent Sutter. After a recent statement by ex-Flyers player Daniel Carcillo, Sutter has become the subject of scrutiny regarding alleged hazing and abuse on his team.
In his statement, Alexeyev disagrees with those accusations.
On Tuesday, Carcillo shared a series of tweets alleging hazing and abuse at a Red Deer Rebels rookie party.
Underage drinking, dressing young men as women & physical, verbal & sexual abuse happened at the pictured rookie party
The @TheWHL & @HockeyCanada was made aware of it & nothing was done bc it involved the Sutter name
DM me for more info if you want the full story#hockeyabuse pic.twitter.com/byTK9w8FXl
— Daniel Carcillo (@CarBombBoom13) November 27, 2019
Sutter’s brother Darryl was head coach of the LA Kings from 2011 to 2018, during which he won the Stanley Cup twice. Carcillo played for Sutter and the Kings in 2013-14.
Alexeyev, now with the Hershey Bears, played under Brent Sutter with the Red Deer Rebels from 2016 to 2019. On Thursday, Alexeyev responded to the allegations with his own statement.
— Alex_Alexeyev (@Alexeyev04) November 29, 2019
The text of that message, edited for clarity:
I played for Brent Sutter for three years, and moving to Canada when you [are] 16 and from another country, don’t know any English, it’s hard, but thanks to Brent, he made me feel comfortable. He made me feel like home. He trusted me [with] lots of ice time, and because of him I became [a] stronger person and strong player, and now I am where I am right now because of him. He’s a great man and great coach.
Huge thanks to him and [the] Rebels organization for everything they’ve done for me!
P.S. if something didn’t went well in your hockey career, don’t throw someone under the bus. Take a look in the mirror!
The Red Deer Rebels also issued a statement denying that Carcillo’s tweet and its attached photo depicted their team:
Brent Sutter – Owner, Governor, President, General Manager and Head Coach of the Red Deer Rebels – and the Western Hockey League, take matters of this nature very seriously. The Red Deer Rebels Hockey Club have reviewed the photograph shared on social media and have indicated to the WHL they do not believe any individuals depicted in the photograph are former members of the Red Deer Rebels.
Alexeyev has one goal and nine assists for Hershey though 21 games.
