Embattled forward Corey Perry cleared unconditional waivers on Wednesday, paving the way for the Chicago Blackhawks to terminate his contract, which the team said it would do “effective immediately” for what it only described as a “workplace matter” and “conduct that is unacceptable.”
Now what? The Blackhawks claimed in a statement on Tuesday that Perry was “in violation of his Standard Playing Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.” The big question lingering is whether Perry’s alleged misconduct has risen to the level of a material breach of his contract. For the test of time, NHL player contracts have been ironclad agreements that guarantee employment with only vaguely worded and limited exceptions that grant teams the right to terminate.
Given the lack of detail provided by the Blackhawks, it is impossible to know whether Perry’s conduct met that mostly unprecedented level of material breach. Teams have previously sent players home and continued to pay them until the expiration of their contracts, but there does not appear to be one example in recent NHL history of an active player’s contract being terminated for conduct that may be inappropriate but not illegal. The Los Angeles Kings attempted to terminate Mike Richards’ contract in 2015, four months after he was charged with attempting to cross the border in possession of controlled substances, but even then the Kings were forced to pay cap recapture penalties and termination fees to Richards totaling $10.5 million over 17 years through 2032.
According to sources, an alcohol-fueled incident involving Perry was alleged to have occurred during an event that included corporate partners and team employees in attendance. It remains unclear what allegedly took place, who witnessed it, and who reported it to the team.
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said that the front office learned of the allegation while in Columbus last week and “immediately pulled” Perry from the lineup prior to a Thanksgiving eve game against the Blue Jackets. Davidson declined to provide any detail about the allegation or subsequent investigation before resulting in the termination that was scheduled to be completed on Wednesday.
“As this is an individual personnel matter, I will not be able to disclose any details relating to the initial reporting, investigation or the findings,” Davidson said in prepared remarks on Tuesday before taking questions.
However, we can glean from Perry’s placement on waivers and Davidson’s answers to questions, a few pertinent facts: 1) Perry’s alleged misconduct does not involve a criminal investigation; 2) the NHL was made aware of the Blackhawks’ investigation but this was a “team incident and team decision;” 3) Perry has not been suspended by the NHL and if he was claimed on waivers on Wednesday presumably would have been free to continue playing.
That has left many other team executives and agents to wonder whether Perry’s alleged misconduct would have risen to the same level in any other organization outside of Chicago, which is still reeling and sensitive from a 2021 independent investigation revealed that Blackhawks executives covered up an alleged sexual assault committed in 2010 by team video coach Brad Aldrich.
When asked on Wednesday whether the NHL Players’ Association would move to file a grievance in defense of Perry and, ultimately, all players with a potential precedent setting termination, an NHLPA spokesperson said that that the union was “reviewing the matter.” The NHLPA has 60 days from the date of termination to file a grievance. Perry’s agent, Pat Morris of Newport Sports Management, did not immediately return a request for comment.
According to Section 2 (e) of a Standard Players Contract, all NHL players agree “to conduct himself on and off the rink according to the highest standards of honesty, morality, fair play and sportsmanship, and to refrain from conduct detrimental to the best interest of the Club, the League or professional hockey generally.”
In the same contract, it says in Section 14 (a) that teams may terminate a deal if a player shall at any time: “fail, refuse, or neglect to obey the Club’s rules governing training and conduct of Players, if such failure, refusal or neglect should constitute a material breach of this SPC.“
Typically, that clause has only been invoked for players who fail to report or fail to keep in good physical condition. It has rarely, if ever, been used to terminate a player who violates team rules for conduct. The most recently published version of the joint NHL-NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement also lists a “Form of Standard Club Rules,” which does not specifically mention anything relating to workplace conduct.
The Blackhawks also referenced Perry’s violation of “internal policies,” which may or may not be permissible as determinant for player conduct under the CBA. According to Exhibit 14, Note 2: “Each Club may make up to three (3) modifications and/or amendments to the Standard Club Rules. Clubs shall submit proposed modifications and/or amendments for consideration by the NHL and the NHLPA at least ten (10) days prior to the commencement of Training Camp.” It is unclear whether the Blackhawks submitted amendments to the NHL and NHLPA prior to the beginning of training camp.
“The organization is committed to a culture of accountability and upholding our values across our employees and players both on and off the ice,” Davidson said. Davidson appeared visibly choked up when discussing the situation, acknowledging “it’s been very tough. It’s been a tough couple days.”
Neutral league observers suggested the Blackhawks’ termination of Perry was an easy and smart step to take as a way to rebuild trust and credibility in the community. The team learned of alleged misconduct, pulled him from the lineup, conducted an investigation and moved to terminate him in a span of six days. Since Davidson said the NHL was apprised of the investigation and end result, clearly the Blackhawks received the backing of the league in their interpretation. And if Perry or the NHLPA challenged their decision via grievance, even if the end result was a settlement between player and team, at least the Blackhawks and NHL came out with a hardline stance against workplace misconduct in the meantime.
Meanwhile, agents and players expressed concern to Daily Faceoff this week about the potential of Perry’s termination becoming precedent setting for conduct that may be improper but not illegal. After all, there are players who have run afoul of the law and never received discipline rising to the level of termination. The Los Angeles Kings terminated defenseman Slava Voynov’s contract in 2017 after he had been suspended indefinitely by the NHL and served 90 days in jail for domestic assault. The San Jose Sharks terminated Evander Kane’s contract in 2022 for failure to report and presenting a fake vaccination card; Kane and the NHLPA grieved the matter, resulting in a settlement that bridged the gap between what he was due to earn in San Jose and his earnings on a new contract in Edmonton.
As one source asked: “Perry was in some ways disposable because he is 38 and not the face of the franchise. But what if he was 25 and had just signed a $70 million extension last summer? Can that just be washed away now with no questions asked? What about guys who are signed to long-term deals that are overpaid and underperforming? Can teams conveniently terminate those because a guy does something vaguely immoral on the road one weekend?”
About the only thing the Blackhawks revealed publicly was that there was zero validity to a disgusting rumor floating through social media over the last week, with Davidson saying: “I do want to be very clear on this one 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.”
Short of that, the only thing the hockey world has been left with are more questions than answers, including exactly what Perry is alleged to have done, whether the Blackhawks have the juice to terminate his deal, and whether Perry or the NHLPA have the inclination to grieve a mostly unprecedented move.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins will bring in another quarterback while starter Tua Tagovailoa deals with his latest concussion, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.
For now, Skylar Thompson will be considered the Dolphins’ starter while Tagovailoa is sidelined. Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo in the third quarter with the third known concussion of his NFL career, all of them coming in the last 24 months.
“The team and the organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the team has not made any decision about whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Tagovailoa was expected at the team facility on Friday to start the process of being evaluated in earnest.
“We just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared for every situation,” McDaniel said, noting that the only opinions that will matter to the team will be the ones from Tagovailoa and the medical staff.
McDaniel added that he doesn’t see Tagovailoa playing in Miami’s next game at Seattle on Sept. 22.
“I have no idea and I’m not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of,” McDaniel added. “All I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad and be a dad this weekend. And then we’ll move from there. There won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard … none of that will happen without doctors’ expertise and the actual player.”
Tagovailoa was 17 for 25 passing for 145 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions — one of which was returned for a Buffalo score — when he got hurt. Thompson completed eight of 14 passes for 80 yards.
Thompson said he feels “fully equipped” to run the Dolphins’ offense.
“What’s going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I’m confident, though,” Thompson said after Thursday’s game. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever’s to come. I’m going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.
“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”
Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.
“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.
When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.
McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”
TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson were among the soccer dignitaries who attended the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday in the Swedish manager’s small hometown of Torsby.
Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the 600-seat Fryksande church.
“It is a day of grief but also a day of thankfulness,” the priest, Ingela Älvskog, told those in attendance.
Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Eriksson’s 95-year-old father Sven and other family members with hugs inside the church before the funeral started.
Eriksson became England’s first foreign-born coach when he led the national team from 2001-06, and made Beckham his captain.
Eriksson, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.
Some 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church from 1898 were reserved for his family, friends and players from his career in the football world, according to his agent. The remaining seats were open for the public, according to Eriksson’s wish, with a big screen set up outside the church where hundreds more gathered to watch the ceremony. The funeral was also broadcast live on some Swedish media websites.
The wooden coffin was wheeled in by pallbearers at the church Friday morning as fog wrapped Torsby — a town of about 4,000 people located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm. Next to the casket was a photo of Eriksson on a small table. The floral wreaths included ones sent by FIFA and Lazio, the Italian team that Eriksson led to the Serie A title in 2000.
The ceremony began with somber piano and organ music, but later took on a more upbeat note with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson performing Elton John’s song “Candle In The Wind” and then “My Way” in a duet with Johan Birgersson, who later intoned the popular Italian song “Volare” after the family had gathered around the casket to lay flowers.
Beckham also visited Eriksson in Sweden in June to say goodbye. Others attending the funeral included the Swedish coach’s longtime partner Nancy Dell’Olio. Eriksson’s agent had said that guests from England, Italy and Spain were expected.
After the funeral, the casket was carried out of the church by eight men to the hearse. The guests then walked in a procession accompanying the coffin to a nearby museum where speeches and eulogies to the coach fondly known as “Svennis” were planned on an outdoor stage. A brass band played during the procession through Torsby, including the tune “You never walk alone” from the musical “Carousel” which has become the anthem of Liverpool, the club Eriksson supported since childhood.
The local soccer club Torsby IF, where Eriksson started his career in the 1960s, wrote on its webpage that “you also showed your greatness by always being yourself, the caring Svennis who talked to everyone and took the time, for big and small, asking how things were and how the football was going. We will miss you.”
