Kyle Davidson Addresses Release of Corey Perry

It only ramped up the speculation. The past 48 hours ushered in the nastiness of the social media with lewd comments attributed to the situation. It was what Davidson referred to, and was steadfast in denouncing. He did go further, indicating that it had been a hard day for so many in the organization.

Davidson could not elaborate on specific terms as it was a “workplace matter.” He indicated it was also a “team incident” and a “team decision” in the course they chose.

“I just can’t get into specifics because it is an individual personnel matter,” Davidson said. “The most I can disclose is we learned about it while we were in Columbus.”

Davidson’s Words As Transparent as He Can Legally Be

Those able to watch the press conference could see how shaken Davidson was by all of it. There’s obviously the history with the organization that shook it to the core regarding with the incident involving Kyle Beach, and the noise surrounding the last week only grew louder until Davidson addressed it today.

Speaking to the team, Davidson said they were quiet and didn’t really respond.

“I met with the team today to update them on our decision. When pressed on their reaction, Davidson simply said, “They just kind of listened.”

But it was when asked about the incident that he was probably the most transparent–moreso than some expected saying how it was “disturbing” and how he was “wearing it.”

“It’s obviously been very tough,” Davidson said, choking up. “It’s been a tough couple days.”

For a situation that has been thorny and shrouded for some time, Kyle Davidson did what he could to eliminate the rumors while also being as honest as he could be, without violating any privacy that would be assigned to it.

Likely there’s more that will eventually be released in time, but for now, the Blackhawks are trying to follow the credo they insisted upon after the fallout from three years ago.

“I think more than anything it reinforces the resolve we have to change the culture and make sure we’re doing the right things, upholding our values, and making sure that we continue to build a culture of accountability,” Davidson said.