Insider discusses Corey Perry and whether or not he'll play in the NHL again

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Mike Armenti
December 1, 2023 (10:46)

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A few days have passed since Corey Perry was waived by the Chicago Blackhawks and had his contract terminated, but for as many questions as have been asked, there still aren't many answers, other than that the incident involving Perry was work-related and that there was alcohol involved.

This week, we heard Hawks GM Kyle Davidson speak and dispel some of the nasty, disgusting rumours that had been going around and we also received a statement from Corey Perry himself, where he openly acknowledged that he has a problem with alcohol and that he is seeking help for his addiction and publicly apologizing to anyone who had been impacted by the ordeal.

As far as Perry's more immediate future and his longer term future, there are a lot of questions there as well. TSN's Darren Dreger has been bombarded with questions over the past 48 hours regarding what this means for Perry's NHL career and whether or not he'd play again this season or beyond. Dreger responded to these questions on TSN 1050's First Up this morning.

"Well, it remains to be seen and that will be based on what Corey acknowledged via his statement. What's next for him is doing what he's doing right now, focusing on his family, focusing on his mental and physical health... When Corey Perry gets to a place with his family, and with his mental and physical health, where he can make a real informed decision as to whether or not he wants to play this season, play again, any of that, then that's when the hockey side of the story moves forward. But, until then, it's all about his family's health and his individual health and making himself accountable for the position he's put himself in, his family and the Chicago Blackhawks."

Obviously, Dreger wanted to keep this all about Perry's health and rightfully so. When something occurs with a player relating to their health, they stop being a player right there. They're a human being first. Obviously, we wish Perry all the best and hope that he gets the help that he needs.

Beyond that, the age factor certainly plays a role here. Perry is 38 years old. Assuming he sits out the year, he'll he be 39 when the next season begins and it may be a real challenge for him to find a spot as a 39-year-old who missed almost a whole season by that point.

Unfortunately, we still have more questions than answers at this point, but if Perry is getting the help he needs, that should be where the focus is at this point. As Dreger implied this morning, hockey is secondary at this point.

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DECEMBRE 1 \| 524 ANSWERS Insider discusses Corey Perry and whether or not he'll play in the NHL again Will Corey Perry ever play in the NHL again?
Yes, he'll be back this season	283	54 %
Yes, he'll be back next season	96	18.3 %
No, his career is over	145	27.7 %
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Insider discusses Corey Perry and whether or not he'll play in the NHL again

A few days have passed since Corey Perry was waived by the Chicago Blackhawks and had his contract terminated, but for as many questions as have been asked, there still aren't many answers, other than that the incident involving Perry was work-related and that there was alcohol involved.

Will Corey Perry ever play in the NHL again?