This past spring, a former CCAA silver medalist coached Canada's national men's team at an IIHF World Championship for the second time in three years. However, the first international hockey experiences of Bill Peters occurred in the CCAA.

After playing with the Killam Wheat Kings of the Central Alberta Junior Hockey League and the Hobbema Hawks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, the 21 year old forward joined the Mike Johnston coached Camrose Lutheran College Vikings of the ACAC in the fall of 1986. A few months later, the Vikings embarked on an exhibition tour of Czechoslovakia and Switzerland during the Christmas Break.

The Three Hills, Alberta native was then a member of the host team at the Viking Cup International Hockey Tournament the following Christmas break which featured national teams from Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union as well as club teams from Sweden and Finland.

In recent years, Peters has been behind the bench in international competition. He won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Pacific at the 2005 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Lethbridge, a gold medal as head coach of Canada’s National Summer Under-18 Team at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic and a gold medal as head coach of Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship in Russia.

In addition to his international hockey experiences in college, he also participated in two national championships. In 1987, the host Vikings finished fourth at the CCAA Hockey National Championship. In 1989, Peters won an ACAC championship and a silver medal at the CCAA Hockey National Championship with the Red Deer College Kings.

In his final season in the CCAA, Peters was coached by Mike Babcock and was an ACAC second team all conference forward. In 1999, the two were reunited in the state of Washington with Babcock as head coach and Peters as an assistant coach of the Spokane Chiefs (WHL). Twelve years later, Peters joined the Detroit Red Wings (NHL) as an assistant coach with Babcock was head coach.

After serving as a bench boss with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (CIAU), the Spokane Chiefs (WHL), the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) and the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), Peters was named head coach of the Calgary Flames (NHL) this past off season.

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