The specific events that led to Perry’s termination were not disclosed by either the team or Perry. He has until next week to determine whether to file a grievance in an attempt to recover a portion of the money with the Players’ Association.

When asked if he would file a grievance or provide any additional information about what transpired with the Blackhawks, Perry remained silent. He thanked friends, family, and counselors for their support over the last two months at a press conference alongside Holland.

“I truly got an opportunity to think things through, get support, own up to my mistakes from Chicago, and work on improving myself,” Perry remarked. “There has been a significant difference in my life between two months ago and now — both in terms of the support I’ve received and my background.”

Perry issued an apology in late December and stated he was looking for treatment for alcoholism. Although he recently met with Commissioner Gary Bettman, signing with a different club was never forbidden by the league.

“I didn’t know where things were going to go after everything happened and my contract was terminated, so at first I took care of myself,” Perry remarked. “Taking care of yourself, placing yourself in a better position, and moving on from there was at the forefront of it.”

Perry had a few other teams interested in signing him, according to Holland, who spoke with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson about the player and left wanting to sign.

Perry, who is currently in his 19th season, won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 and the gold medal twice for Canada at the Olympics, in 2010 and 2014. From 2020 to 22 he made three consecutive trips to the Cup Final with three different teams.

Holland, who briefly met Perry during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, said, “You’re trying to make the team better.” “It feels like we’re adding a player who plays playoff hockey—he’sgreasy,gritty, dirty, and heavy on the puck down low.”

The Oilers hold the record for most consecutive victories among Canadian teams with 13. They went from being in the bottom half of the standings to third place in the Pacific Division and are on track to make the playoffs since firing coach Jay Woodcroft and hiring Kris Knoblauch. Since then, they are 23-6.

“You kind of follow the Edmonton Oilers when you have a 6-year-old kid and Connor McDavid on the team,” Perry remarked. “This team is headed in the right direction, and it’s not just because they’ve won 13 straight games; you can see their mindset and their vision, which is to win a Stanley Cup here.”

Because the Oilers did not have enough cap space on Monday, Perry’s contract can be registered with the league on Tuesday after Adam Erne clears waivers or is claimed by another team. They may make more moves before the March 8 trade deadline in an effort to win the team’s first championship since 1990. This is their most recent attempt.

Holland stated, “We’re going to lose some games here, but we’re on a great run.” There are 40 games left in the National Hockey League. Our team is, I believe, deeper, bigger, stronger, and more competitive now than it was yesterday.