Today, the NHL is hosting the annual Board of Governors meetings, which provides a rare opportunity for the media to speak to commissioner Gary Bettman. Being the first time he's been available since the Corey Perry incident, the media rushed to ask him his thoughts.
Bettman showed his support for Blackhawks organization and their investigation, which follows that he agreed with the contract termination as well. However, he also provided a surprising avenue for Perry to return to the NHL.
Gary Bettman said that Corey Perry would have to be cleared by the commissioner personally after a direct conversation or hearing. The same criteria had been set for previously shamed hockey figures like Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman, neither of which have returned to the NHL.
At the moment, it seems extremely unlikely that Perry will return to the NHL. Entrusted as a veteran presence on a rebuilding team for the young superstar Bedard, this incident will call his character into question wherever he may go - and it's just not worth the distraction to most teams.
