Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson declined to offer many details into allegations against forward Corey Perry, which ultimately led to his dismissal by the team, but was vehement in dismissing rumors surrounding the situation.
The rumors, prevalent online ever since Perry was unexpectedly scratched from the team's lineup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 22, were categorized as "disgusting" by Davidson during a Tuesday press conference.
“I do want to be very clear: this does not involve any players or their families, and anything that suggests otherwise is wildly inaccurate, and frankly it’s disgusting,” he said.
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Davidson declined to address specifics about the nature of the allegations, describing it as a “workplace matter” when asked if law enforcement would be involved in any investigation. He also said that it was a “team incident,” but said that it did not involve any players with the Blackhawks.
Players were not given exact details of the nature of the allegations, but were told prior to Tuesday’s announcement that the team had decided to terminate Perry’s contract.
“They just kind of listened,” Davidson said when asked about how the meeting proceeded.
Davidson also expressed confidence in the resilience of the locker room, and that he believed they would persevere through the challenges ahead.
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“I am very confident in the locker room and their resilience,” he said. “Obviously it’s a tough day, but we’ll continue to communicate with our players and we’ll go forward from there.”
He also said that the team is committed to accountability, and that the rapid response to the allegations against Perry was indicative of that goal.
“I think more than anything, it reinforces the resolve that we have to change the culture and make sure we’re doing the right things and upholding our values and making sure that we continue to build a culture of accountability,” he said.
Davidson told media that the team had learned about the allegations on Wednesday while they were in Columbus and preparing to take on the Blue Jackets. The team pulled Perry from the lineup that evening, and he missed three games while the investigation was underway.
Davidson said that the team tried to move quickly, but thoroughly, amid the investigation.
“We went through the process as quickly as we could in order to run a responsible investigation,” he said.