“Alcohol-Fueled Incident” Led To Perry Contract Termination [Report]

As per an article by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Corey Perry’s contract termination with the Chicago Blackhawks is still missing some key details, but was said to be alcohol related at a team event. He notes that the front office made General Manager Kyle Davidson aware of an allegation during their stay in Columbus last week. In response, they promptly removed Perry from the lineup. The investigation returned facts that were too troubling to keep him on the roster.

Seravalli writes:

According to sources, an alcohol-fueled incident involving Perry was alleged to have occurred during an event that included corporate partners and team employees in attendance. It remains unclear what allegedly took place, who witnessed it, and who reported it to the team.

He adds that because this is an individual personnel matter, the Blackhawks could not and did not provide any details pertaining to investigation or the findings.

Related: Corey Perry Clears Waivers, Contract Terminated by Blackhawks

It appears the organization didn’t want to be linked to any incident, no matter how serious. Seravalli explains, the purported misconduct by Perry does not trigger a criminal investigation. The NHL was informed of the Blackhawks’ internal investigation, clarifying it as a “team incident and team decision. Finally, Perry has not faced suspension from the NHL. In the event of being claimed on waivers on Wednesday, he would likely have been eligible to continue playing.

Would This Have Been As Big An Issue With Another Organization?

There is no excuse for anything inappropriate Perry might have done. That said, NHL executives are wondering if the incident would have been dealt with the same way by other teams. Because this is the Blackhawks and their franchise can’t be linked or associated to anything else scandalous, they moved quickly to remove Perry. They wanted to get ahead of this.

When asked on Wednesday whether the NHL Players’ Association would move to file a grievance on Perry’s behalf, an NHLPA spokesperson said that that the union was “reviewing the matter.”

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