Corey Perry made it abundantly clear that any of the rumors surrounding his romantic involvement with Connor Bedard’s mother are completely untrue. The 38-year-old NHL winger issued a statement of apology on Thursday afternoon, even though it was not his fault that the conjecture spread like wildfire.
Chicago, Perry’s former employer, was extremely cryptic with its handling of the situation and the Blackhawks failed to get ahead of any speculation surrounding the incident. And yet, it is the player who issued the apology even though he had nothing to do with the gossip.
I would like to sincerely apologized to the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization, including ownership, management, coaches, trainers, employees, and my teammates. I would also like to apologize to my fans, and my family. I am embarrassed and I have let you all down.
As a result of my actions, there has been speculation and rumors. I am sickened by the impact this has had on others, and I want to make it clear that in no way did this situation involve any of my teammates or their families. Most importantly, I want to directly apologize to those who have been negatively affected and I am sorry for the additional impact to others it has created. My behavior was inappropriate and wrong.
I have started working with experts in the mental health and substance abuse fields to discuss my struggles with alcohol and I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure this never happens again. I hope to regain the trust and respect of everyone who has believed in my throughout my career.
Once again, I am deeply sorry
— Corey Perry
Corey Perry is right.
His behavior, which allegedly involved an alcohol-fueled incident at a corporate team event, was inappropriate and wrong. However, for him to apologize for the rumors that swirled regarding the incident is unfortunate.
He could not control what was said about the situation. That was outside of his control. That was on the team to get out in front of the speculative theories.
The aforementioned, completely unsubstantiated connections between Perry and Bedard’s mom was not the fault of Perry. Chicago failed to provide any clarity and went radio silent.
Professional sports organizations should know better by now. Especially in the age of social media.
Corey Perry, who was traded from the Lightning to the Blackhawks back in June, was officially waived by the organization on Tuesday. At that point, and only at that point, did the team debunk the “disgusting” rumor while providing further information about “unacceptable” conduct during a “workplace matter” that was not criminal.
The staunch affirmation that Perry’s leave of absence and release had nothing to do with him getting down with a teammate’s mother was about one week too late. Chicago completely mishandled the entire situation from a P.R. standpoint.
It was a masterclass in what not to do when scandal breaks within an organization. Perry is now apologetic for rumors that he could not foresee or influence. Real shame.