Corey Perry's Blackhawks teammate opens up on drama surrounding veteran's contract termination

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 29, 2023 15:29 GMT

The Chicago Blackhawks placed veteran forward Corey Perry on waivers Tuesday, signaling their intent to terminate his contract. The decision came after an internal investigation revealed Perry's engagement in conduct deemed unacceptable and in violation of the team's Standard Player's Contract and internal policies aimed at fostering a professional and safe work environment.

Following a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on the same night as the announcement, forward Nick Foligno and head coach Luke Richardson addressed the media, shedding light on the challenging situation.

Foligno said:

"It's not a normal day, it's not a day that's easy on any of us... It's a hard day, but I'm really proud of the guys. A lot of that is out of our control, we don't even really know what's gone on, we don't have all the details."

He further added:

"But we came here to work and get a job done and it shows growth, it shows maturity, and now we need to build off that. It was a great step in the right direction on a day that's really difficult for everyone."

The veteran forward went on to express his shock at Corey Perry's news, emphasizing the personal aspect of the situation:

"It's stunning. To be honest with you, you're stunned a little bit. There's a lot of things that go into it. There's a guy you care about, regardless of what's gone on, he's a guy you care about and we really don't know all of the details.

"He's a guy in this room that we all cared about and was a big part of it, so it's difficult on the human aspect on it. But the organization handled it the way they felt."

Nick Foligno on Corey Perry's conduct

Nick Foligno also reiterated that he's unaware of further details on Corey Perry's situation:

"We honestly don't have all of the details so it's hard for me to comment any more on that, but they are going to stand firm on their beliefs and what the culture needs to be here, on and off the ice. And our job is to make sure we're doing whatever we can in the room and on the ice to perform to that level."

Foligno highlighted the team's focus on maintaining a positive culture, both on and off the ice.

General manager Kyle Davidson, in an earlier press conference, admitted that the past few days had been tough. However, he remained tight-lipped about the specifics that led to Corey Perry's contract termination.