Polarizing NHL forward now eligible to sign with a team
Nearly six weeks after having his contract terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks, 38-year-old forward Corey Perry can resume playing after a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
After going unclaimed on waivers, Perry is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team. He scored four goals and nine points in 16 games with the Blackhawks before being released.
Although no details have been made public, the Blackhawks disclosed during a news conference in late November that after an internal investigation, Perry was found to have engaged in conduct deemed unacceptable by the organization in violation of his contract and the team’s personal conduct policy.
The team acknowledged there was no criminal component to Perry’s action but didn’t offer any further explanation beyond divulging his behavior was not in line with their policy to promote “professional and safe work environments.”
Not much else is known about what happened; however, sources told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan that the incident involved a Blackhawks team employee. Initial reports indicated that Perry had an inappropriate relationship with the family member of a teammate, which was promptly shot down by general manager Kyle Davidson.
“Anything that suggests otherwise or anyone that suggests otherwise is wildly inaccurate and, frankly, it's disgusting,” Davidson said, via ESPN.
Perry released a statement on Nov. 30 apologizing for his actions and vowing to get help with his mental health and struggles with alcohol. He last played in a 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 19 before taking a leave of absence. He was placed on waivers for the purposes of termination shortly after.
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