What happened to Corey Perry? Blackhawks provide statement for placing veteran on waivers

Shocking news came out of the Chicago Blackhawks camp on Tuesday. Veteran Corey Perry was placed on waivers by the organization following his mysterious absence.

After their morning skate, the team announced that Perry was being placed on unconditional waivers with the plan of terminating his contract, effective immediately. In their statement, the team said,

"After an internal investigation, the Chicago Blackhawks have determined that Corey Perry has engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation both of the terms of his Standard Player's Contract and the Blackhawks' internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments. As such, Corey Perry has been placed on unconditional waivers. In the event Mr. Perry clears waivers, we intend to terminate his contract effective immediately."

The team noted that Perry was engaged in activities that were deemed "unacceptable" by the organization and this was the reason behind their plans to release the veteran.

Per ESPN's Ryan Clark and Emily Kaplan Corey Perry was involved in an incident with a team employee during the Blackhawks visit to Columbus.

"Perry indeed traveled with the team to Columbus last Tuesday, a day before the game, and an incident occurred that day involving a team employee."

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said Perry, who did not participate in Chicago's 7-3 loss to Columbus, was "immediately pulled" from the game once the Blackhawks were notified of the incident. The Blackhawks, at that point, began an internal investigation. On Wednesday evening, Perry cleared waivers which resulted in his contract being terminated as planned.

While it is not clear what exactly the player did, a recent rumor started doing rounds last night involving a teammate's family member, which was later debunked by an NHL insider.

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson had recently come out with a statement claiming that Perry would be away for the "foreseeable future." Perry's agent soon after had released a statement claiming that the decision was ultimately made by his client due to "personal matters."

The veterans' last game for the Blackhawks was back in November 19. What happens next is yet to be seen. So far in 2023, Perry had played 16 games scoring four goals and registering 9 points in total.

What Perry did is clearly in violation of the team's personal code on conduct. Following their internal investigation, the franchise which has been mired in controversy over the years, decided it was the right step to put the veteran winger on waivers.

The timing of it all has fans bemused. In a little over a week's time, Corey Perry went from being a mentor figure to young Blackhawks star Connor Bedard, to being shown the door. There surely seems to be more to the story than what meets the eye.