Blackhawks veteran Corey Perry did not practice with the team Thursday, one day after being suspiciously healthy-scratched in a blowout loss to the Blue Jackets.
Hawks coach Luke Richardson, who called the scratch an “organizational decision” Wednesday, declined on Thursday — in uncharacteristic fashion — to answer questions about Perry’s absence.
“We’re going to keep that internal in the organization right now,” Richardson said.
Perry has served as one of four alternate captains for the Hawks this season — after being brought in from the Lightning this past summer — and is currently tied for third on the team in scoring with nine points in 16 games. He most recently participated in practice Tuesday, after which he held an impromptu autograph session for kids at Fifth Third Arena.
Nick Foligno, one of the Hawks’ three other alternate captains, said Thursday that he did not know the reason for Perry’s absence but that Perry was currently “not with” the team.
“We just know he’s not with us,” Foligno said. “We haven’t really gotten any details. It’s unfortunate; he’s a big part of this. So we’ll miss him. But we haven’t really gotten any other information.”
Combined with Taylor Hall’s season-ending ACL surgery and Andreas Athanasiou’s placement on injured reserve with a groin injury, Perry’s absence leaves the Hawks’ forward corps extremely shorthanded entering the Black Friday home matinee against the Maple Leafs.
