The Chicago Blackhawks have put Corey Perry on waivers with the intent to terminate his contract.
On Tuesday, the Blackhawks made the sudden decision to place Perry on waivers to cut him from his one-year, $4 million contract signed in late June. Perry played just 16 games with the Blackhawks this season, scoring four goals and nine points during that time.
The decision comes days after the 38-year-old forward stepped away from the team for an unknown reason late last week.
There’s still a lot unknown about Perry’s sudden termination from the team, but here’s what we do know so far about this unfolding story in Chicago.
How did this incident with Corey Perry begin?
On November 22, Perry was taken out of the lineup for the Blackhawks’ Wednesday night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Perry had practiced the day before and participated in morning skate but did not take part in warmups before the game.
A few days later, on November 25, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told reporters that Perry was set to remain away from the team “for the foreseeable future.”
Corey Perry will remain away from the Blackhawks "for the foreseeable future," Kyle Davidson says.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 25, 2023
What did Blackhawks players and staff have to say?
In the days following Perry’s removal from the team, Blackhawks players and coaches were questioned about the incident.
“I’m not going to speak on it too much,” Connor Bedard said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “Obviously it sucks he’s not here, but we don’t really have too much information on it or anything yet, but of course he’s a big part of the team and it sucks he can’t be here today.”
“We just know he’s not with us,” Nick Foligno said. “We haven’t really gotten any details. It’s unfortunate. He’s a big part of this, so we’ll miss him, but we haven’t really gotten any other information.”
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson also spoke on the matter, via USA Today.
“We’re taking it just like any other roster move, whether it be injury or trade or whatever. That’s the coach’s duty is to make adjustments on the fly.”
Did the Blackhawks upper management say anything of note about Corey Perry?
On Tuesday, after the team announced the intent to terminate Perry’s contract, general manager Kyle Davidson spoke to the media and cleared the air about a few details.
“This does not involve any other players or their family members.”
Kyle Davidson on the Corey Perry situation. pic.twitter.com/wsNRnNAIC6
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 28, 2023
Here are Davidson’s opening remarks from Thursday’s press conference:
First and foremost, I want to start off by reiterating the organization is committed to a culture of accountability and upholding our values across our employees and players both on and off the ice. Last week, management was notified of possible misconduct by Corey Perry. We immediately pulled him from the game and conducted an internal investigation. Upon learning the findings of the investigation, we made the decision to terminate his contract. As this is an individual personnel matter, I will not be able to disclose any details related to the initial reporting, investigation or the findings.
However, I do want to be very clear on this one point: This does not involve any players or their families, and anything that suggests otherwise, or anyone that suggests otherwise, is wildly inaccurate, and frankly, it’s disgusting. This has been a tough situation and I understand you wanted answers. It was important that we took all the necessary steps before sharing more. I hope you can understand that I may not be able to answer everything today, but I am going to be as open and honest as I can be given the situation and out of respect for those involved.
So, what do we know about this incident between Corey Perry and the Blackhawks?
According to Davidson, this incident is a “workplace matter” and does not need to involve law enforcement.
Asked if there's criminality involved, Kyle Davidson calls it "a workplace matter."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 28, 2023
It also seems like the players and coaching staff are just as in the dark as fans are.
Kyle Davidson says the players don't know the details of what went down.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 28, 2023
As for the Blackhawks themselves, this incident comes two years removed from the Brad Aldrich sexual assault scandal that rocked the hockey world and shook people’s trust the organization overall. That fact is seemingly clear on Davidson’s mind as well.
Kyle Davidson on how disappointing this is given all the Blackhawks have said about building a new culture the last couple of years: "I think more than anything, it reinforces the resolve we have to change the culture and make sure we’re doing the right things."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 28, 2023
Has Corey Perry released a statement?
On Thursday, November 30, Perry released a statement apologizing for the incident while stating he plans to work with experts in mental health and substance abuse to “take whatever steps necessary to ensure this never happens again.”
Corey Perry releases a statement: pic.twitter.com/UnXbuk1tlS
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 30, 2023
We’ll continue to update this piece as we learn more about this incident involving Perry and the Blackhawks.
