Chicago to terminate Corey Perry's contract after what team calls unacceptable conduct

Chicago's NHL team is cutting ties with Corey Perry. The franchise is still answering questions about the culture of the organization.

The team says Perry engaged in unacceptable conduct, and they are moving toward terminating his contract in the latest twist involving the veteran winger who was sent home last week without explanation.

The team said Tuesday in a statement that an internal investigation showed Perry acted in violation of his NHL Standard Player Contract and club policies "intended to promote professional and safe work environments." Chicago put Perry on unconditional waivers and said his deal will be terminated as long as he clears Wednesday.

The team has not given any indication as to what Perry did to warrant these actions.

"As this is an individual personnel matter, I will not be able to disclose any details related to the initial reporting or the findings," general manager Kyle Davidson said Tuesday.

"However, I do want to be very clear on this point. This does not involve any players or their families, and anything that suggests otherwise, or anyone that suggests otherwise, is wildly inaccurate and frankly it's disgusting."

Pat Morris, Perry's agent, did not respond to messages seeking comment. Over the weekend, he said in a statement that Perry had stepped away to attend to personal matters.

In the wake of the scandal, the franchise's top leaders have talked repeatedly about the culture within the organization. While Davidson repeatedly declined to offer any specifics on what happened with Perry, he touched on its connection to the franchise's ongoing work.

"I think more than anything, it reinforced the resolve 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.

Asked if new reporting processes for misconduct made a different in this case, Davidson responded: "I believe so."

Davidson said the team learned about an issue involving Perry while it was in Columbus a week ago. The GM said he met with the players on Tuesday to inform them of the decision to cut ties with Perry.

Davidson also said he has been in contact with the NHL and NHL players' association.

"The league was understanding of the situation, as was the players' union," he said. "All parties were informed, but again it was a team incident."

The 38-year-old Perry was acquired in a June trade with Tampa Bay. He then agreed to a $4 million US, one-year contract with Chicago.