Gary Bettman addresses whether Corey Perry will play in the NHL again

The Corey Perry saga is still shrouded in mystery. We still don't know the full details of the infraction that resulted in his contract termination and we still don't know if/when another NHL team might be able to poach his services for the remainder of the season.

The Chicago Blackhawks terminated Perry's contract at the end of November after what was deemed as "unacceptable conduct". Rumours swirled for days on end as to what "unacceptable conduct" could entail and while things got nastier by the minute, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson assured the rest of the hockey world that it had nothing to do with another player or their family.

On Tuesday, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman tweeted out that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is comfortable with how the Blackhawks have conducted the investigation and that he himself has not yet determined whether or not Perry will need to have a conversation or a hearing to return to the NHL. This essentially means that even after Perry is ready to return, there are no guarantees that he'll be welcomed back into the NHL. Still, if he does have to plead his case to Bettman and if he is welcomed back to the NHL, there should be no shortage of suitors.

As a hockey move, signing Perry in the middle of the season for what would most likely be the league minimum is a juicy proposition for any contending club. Perry brings about 1,273 games through parts of 19 seasons, 892 points, 1 Stanley Cup ring, and another 3 Finals appearances - 2020, 2021, 2022.


While he might not have the same scoring punch that earned him a Hart Memorial Trophy and a Rocket Richard way back in 2010-11, Perry brings about so many different intangibles that playoff hungry teams are always searching for.