Corey Perry releases apology for 'inappropriate' behavior after Blackhawks terminate his contract

Perry dispelled any notion that the incident involved a teammate's family member

By Austin Nivison Nov 28, 2023 at 2:55 pm ET• 2 min read

For the first time since the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his contract due to "unacceptable" conduct, Corey Perry has broken his silence. On Thursday, Perry released a statement in which he apologized for his "inappropriate and wrong" behavior.

The Blackhawks put Perry on waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract on Tuesday, after he had been away from the team for roughly a week. Two days later, Perry addressed the situation in a lengthy statement. Perry apologized for the behavior that led to his release and dispelled any notion that the incident had anything to do with a teammate's family member.

"As a result of my actions, there has been speculation and rumors," Perry said in a statement. "I am sickened by the impact this had on others, and I want to make it clear that in no way did this situation involve my teammates or their families. Most importantly, I want to directly apologize to those who have been negatively affected and I am sorry for the additional impact to others it has created. My behavior was inappropriate and wrong."

Corey Perry releases a statement: pic.twitter.com/UnXbuk1tlS

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 30, 2023

Perry, who signed a one-year deal with Chicago in the offseason, had his contract terminated by the Blackhawks after passing unclaimed through waivers. Chicago released its own statement explaining the decision at the time.

"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," the team said in a statement. "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."