SAN JOSE — As more stories have emerged in recent days about coaching misdeeds, Sharks forward Evander Kane said it’s important to distinguish between the incident involving former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock and Mitch Marner and the allegation of racist language used by Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters.

As the two stories came to light earlier this week, the broader question of how players are treated by coaches — and the need for change — has been brought up. Still, while one incident might have been controversial, Kane said the other is much more severe.

Asked if there needs to be a reckoning with how coaches treat players, Kane said, “They’re very different situations. The Babcock situation, I guess he was trying to use it as some sort of tactic or motivational tool. Obviously, I don’t think there are that many people who would agree with it, but that’s more of coaching situation if you will.

“With the Peters situation, it was racial slurs that were uttered in a real derogatory way, allegedly. Two very different situations. I don’t agree with (those) trying to conjoin the two because they’re so different and the severity of them is so lopsided.”

Earlier this week, it was reported that during the 2016-17 season, Babcock had asked forward Marner — then a rookie — to rate his Maple Leafs teammates from hardest working to ones that did not share the same work ethic.

Marner obliged, not wanting to upset his then-coach, but his opinions were later shared by Babcock with those who were least-favorably judged. After it was shared, though, Marner’s Maple Leaf teammates were more upset that Babcock asked him to do such a thing than they were mad at the young player.

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After hearing that story, former NHL player Akim Aliu, who was born in Nigeria and raised in Canada, wrote on his Twitter account Monday that during the 2009-10 season when he was with the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL, Babcock’s “protege” — referring to Peters — repeatedly used a racial slur “in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music.”

Not very surprising the things we’re hearing about Babcock. Apple doesn’t fall far from the Tree, same sort of deal with his protege in YYC. Dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music. First one to — Akim Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) November 26, 2019

In its report published Tuesday, TSN spoke to two Rockford players who were in the room at the time of the incident and corroborated Aliu’s story.

While Babcock later apologized to Marner, Peters, according to Aliu, never took back what he said. Aliu told TSN that Peters called him into his office after the incident in the locker room and instead of apologizing, said another racial epithet.

Later Tuesday, former Hurricanes defenseman Michal Jordan tweeted that Peters kicked and punched him and another player on the bench. Current Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said Tuesday the allegation was true.

1) Never wish anything bad to the person but you get what you deserve Bill.After years making it to the NHL had experience with the worst coach ever by far.Kicking me and punching other player to the head during the game… — Michal Jordan (@TheBigCzech23) November 26, 2019

Wednesday evening, in a statement, Peters issued a written apology to Flames general manager Brad Treliving, saying, “Please accept this as a sincere apology to you, and the entire Calgary Flames organization, for offensive language I used in a professional setting a decade ago.

“I know that my comments have been the source of both anger and disappointment, and I understand why. Although it was an isolated and immediately regrettable incident, I take responsibility for what I said.”

Peters remained the Flames’ coach as of early Wednesday afternoon, although Treliving said the team is continuing its investigation. Peters was not behind the bench for the Flames’ game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

This isn’t a case of old school vs. new school. Some lines should never be crossed, Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said Wednesday.

“The world’s changing. I’ve got three kids, and they grew up in a totally different world than I grew up in. We all have to change with that,” DeBoer said. “At the same time, there’s not excuse for racism or physical abuse anywhere in the world. Now, and there wasn’t 10 years ago, either. I don’t think that’s changed.”

DeBoer looks back at his quarter-century in coaching and although he feels there were times when he could have handled situations with players differently, he was never malicious in his intent. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation.

“I think there’s an evolution on all fronts in hockey,” DeBoer said. “Players have had an evolution, so have coaches, so have management. All I can do is speak for what we do every day, and we come in here every day and we’re in charge of motivating and pushing people out of their comfort zone to get the most out of them.

“It’s not an easy job and there are some days you walk away and go, ‘Geez, I think I could have done a better job in that situation,’ or ‘Maybe I could have handled that a little but better.’ But the motivation is always to make the group better, to make the team better, to make the individual better and to help us win hockey games.

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▪ The Sharks, for the fourth straight game, will use 11 defensemen and seven forwards for Wednesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Forwards Noah Gregor and Lukas Radil will be scratched.

▪ Tomas Hertl will miss his fourth straight game Wednesday with a lower body injury. DeBoer said Hertl is getting close and “took a big step” Wednesday but wasn’t available. Hertl skated Wednesday morning. Barclay Goodrow will again play in Hertl’s spot against the Jets as the Sharks’ second line center.