Chicago's handling of Corey Perry absence creates questions

Chicago GM Kyle Davidson says forward Corey Perry will remain away from the team "for the foreseeable future" but the mystery surrounding Perry's absence has some questioning the Blackhawks' handling of the situation.

Video Transcript

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Corey Perry not with the Chicago organization due to organizational reasons. The team says they sent him away for organizational reasons. And after that, his agent is saying, hey, Corey Perry needs this time to be with his family right now, and he would need all that privacy.

There is a rumor going around about Corey Perry that has since been refuted. We are not going to spend time on that rumor, because we are a responsible podcast, and we don't delve into terrible, salacious rumors like what is being peddled out there in the media.

OMAR: That's our slogan. #ZoneTime.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yes.

OMAR: We do not partake in rumors.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yes, journalism. Yes, shame on you all for having so much fun at this rumor that is out there, that we are not going to mention on Zone Time. Shame on you all for doing that. There is a discussion to be had, though, I guess, about the fact that we still don't know.

And Chicago, which has been so great with transparency with some of these stories, is handling it. Omar, what do you think of the way that Chicago has been handling this story and how weird this all is?

OMAR: Yeah, I think that's the best way to say it it's just weird, right? It's very weird that he got sent home. At first, we just thought it was like health distractions. Then there's the idea maybe it was like an injury, and now it's just like, no, there was the team decision for him to not be part of the team, so that already raises so many question marks.

And, again, the fact that we're not getting any information. I mean, yes, Corey Perry's representation asked for privacy in this time, but like you can't help but just consider and think like what is it? Like what's taking place? And again, it is unfortunately fitting that this is taking place with an organization that has a great history of exposing truth for things. I was being very sarcastic there

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh, the sarcasm has been dripping all throughout this segment.

AVERY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: [LAUGHS]

OMAR: Yeah, again, it's very weird. And, I guess, I feel like at some point, we are going to know what took place in some way, shape, or form. We may not get all the details, but I'm interested to know what happened and, , I guess if any ripple effects from it.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, and if Corey Perry will be a member in Chicago all that much longer. I wonder, depending on what comes out, if that's enough for the team to say we're terminating your contract or we're getting you the hell out of here via trade. That's my next question.

OMAR: Yeah.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I'm not sure.

SAMANTHA CHANG: How bad would something have to be for the Chicago Blackhawks to do something about it?

OMAR: Buh, dup, bup, buh, duh, bup.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Whoa, damn. That's a very deep question. That's a very good question.

AVERY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Boy

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Woof. I mean, you're not wrong. You're not wrong.

AVERY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: No, he's not.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Gotta say, you're not wrong. They haven't earned the benefit of the doubt for us to think that they're actually going to do right by this situation. Sorry, Chicago, you don't get that.