Blackhawks reach settlement with Corey Perry over threatened contract grievance

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 incited extensive public scrutiny and speculation.

Typically, a player whose contract is terminated has up to 60 days to file a grievance, but as the grievance deadline approached in late January, the NHLPA and NHL reached an agreement to extend it to allow 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 Hawks will incur a small salary-cap charge as a result of the settlement, the Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported Thursday, but that's unlikely to matter since the Hawks currently have the most cap space of any team. The Hawks declined a Sun-Times request for comment on the matter.

The process ultimately played out similarly to the Sharks vs. Evander Kane spat in 2022, which also resulted in a settlement after a contract termination.

Perry, meanwhile, played his 20th game for the Oilers on Wednesday, during which he has recorded five goals and two assists. He'll end up participating in the playoffs with them, something he wouldn't have gotten to do with the Hawks.