Chicago Blackhawks scratch member of leadership group after reported off ice issue
The Chicago Blackhawks spent their summer adding Veteran leadership to help build accountability. However Wednesday night they were forced to scratch one of those leaders. This summer veteran winger Corey Perry, signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks with a cap hit of $4M. Some eyebrows were raised on the dollar figure but so far Perry has done well. The 37 year old is tied for third in the team in scoring with 4 goals and 9 points in 16 games.
Perry along with other veteran players like Nick Foligno and Tyler Johnson are helping to mentor young Connor Bedard through his first NHL season.
Last night the Chicago Blackhawks were hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets in a battle of two teams in the bottom of the standings. It turned out to be a 7-3 demolishing by the Blue Jackets.
In a surprise move before the game it was announced that Corey Perry was going to be a healthy scratch. The former 28th overall selection in the 2003 draft participated in the team's morning skate but did not take part in warmups.
After the game, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson confirmed to reporters that it was an "organizational decision" to sit Perry.
There is little doubt this is not about performance for Perry, who has scored two goals in the last five games amidst the Blackhawks 1-4 record before tonight's game. Perry practiced with the team on Tuesday in his custom spot on the first power-play unit.
If I was to speculate I would think the veteran may have been late to an event and was reprimanded for it.
We may get more details on the situation tomorrow before the Blackhawks host the Toronto Maple Leafs in an afternoon game on Friday.
| POLL | ||
Do you agree with the a player getting scratched if they are late even if it hurts the team? | ||
| Yes, need to show a proper culture | 121 | 67.2 % |
| No, the points are too valuable | 36 | 20 % |
| Depends on where the team is in the standings | 23 | 12.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
