CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks say Corey Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct and they are moving toward terminating his contract in the latest twist involving the veteran winger who was sent home last week without explanation.
The Blackhawks said Tuesday in a statement that an internal investigation showed Perry acted in violation of his NHL Standard Player Contract and their club policies “intended to promote professional and safe work environments.” Chicago put Perry on unconditional waivers and said his deal will be terminated as long as he clears Wednesday.
The team has not given any indication as to what Perry did to warrant these actions.
“As this is an individual personnel matter, I will not be able to disclose any details related to the initial reporting or the findings,” general manager Kyle Davidson said Tuesday.
“However, I do want to be very clear on this 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.”
Perry hasn’t played since he skated for almost 15 minutes during a 3-2 loss to Buffalo on Nov. 19. He was scratched for Chicago’s past three games before Tuesday night’s matchup with Seattle.
Agent Pat Morris did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the Blackhawks’ intent to terminate Perry’s contract. Over the weekend, he said in a statement that Perry had stepped away to attend to personal matters.
Davidson said the team learned about the accusations while it was in Columbus a week ago. The GM said he met with the players on Tuesday to inform them of the decision to cut ties with Perry.
Davidson also said he has been in contact with the NHL and NHL players’ association.
“The league was understanding of the situation, as was the players’ union,” he said. “All parties were informed, but again it was a team incident.”
The 38-year-old Perry was acquired in a June trade with Tampa Bay. He then agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with the Blackhawks.
An 18-year veteran known for his leadership, the Peterborough, Ontario, native won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 and became the first player in league history to reach the final three consecutive years and lose each time with Dallas, Montreal and Tampa Bay from 2020-22.
The Blackhawks brought in Perry and fellow forwards Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to surround No. 1 pick and 18-year-old face of the franchise Connor Bedard with experienced players who could show him the ropes in professional hockey. Perry is on his way out of the organization after 16 games, while Hall is out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.
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