Corey Perry, the Blackhawks and the NHL Players Association have reached a settlement in regards to Perry’s previously threatened contract-termination grievance, a source said Thursday.
The Hawks terminated Perry’s contract in late November after an investigation concluded the 38-year-old veteran forward committed workplace misconduct — an incident and investigation that prompted extensive public scrutiny and speculation.
Typically, a player whose contract is terminated has up to 60 days to file a grievance. As the grievance deadline approached in late January, however, the NHLPA and NHL agreed to extend it, allowing more time for a settlement to be negotiated instead.
During All-Star Weekend in early February, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said a grievance had been “threatened,” and commissioner Gary Bettman said Perry’s camp believed the Hawks didn’t have proper grounds to oust him. But Bettman also said he personally had no problem with how the Hawks handled the situation.
The process ultimately played out similarly to the Sharks’ spat with Evander Kane’s in 2022, which also ended with a settlement.
The Hawks will incur a small salary-cap charge as a result, the Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported, but that’s unlikely to matter since the Hawks currently have the most cap space of any team. The Hawks declined to comment.
Perry, meanwhile, played on Wednesday his 20th game with the Oilers, for whom he has recorded five goals and two assists. He’ll get to participate in the playoffs with them — something he wouldn’t have gotten to do with the Hawks.
