Two Chicago Blackhawks veterans opens up about how they feel about losing Corey Perry

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TJ Tucker
December 11, 2023 (7:38)

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Whatever happened that caused the Chicago Blackhawks to abruptly terminate Corey Perry's contract, it did not involve any of his teammates. And it seems several of them are still adjusting to Perry not being there.

Perry was brought in to mentor a mostly younger Blackhawks team. Very few would have questioned the logic behind the move before all of this happened. Nick Foligno, a fellow veteran with Chicago, says Perry's absence was noticed immediately.

"You could tell the energy he brings...was missing. You mourn that loss, and then you realize, �Alright, it's not changing, so what are we going to do to get the energy back?' We realized other guys have to step up."

Making matters worse, Chicago also lost Taylor Hall for the season to injury. Foligno said it took some time to get there, but other players are starting to step up to fill that role.

"Now you're starting to see guys think, �I learned, even in the short time, what [Corey] meant and why he was so effective in his role.' You're starting to see that from guys. Tyler Johnson has been a big example of that. [He's] understanding, �Alright, I've got to do a little bit more here, talking to guys and being more vocal on the bench.' [Connor] Murphy has done a great job of being more vocal. [Caleb] Jones, as well � he's not mostly like that, but he's understanding [he needs] to drive that energy in practice."

Jones is someone the Blackhawks need to be at his best. It sounds as though he understands that.

"We've had a lot of young [defensemen] and young forwards in our lineup that are still learning the game. When you're young, it's hard to find that consistency every night. ... We all knew that was going to happen coming into this year, and we're just trying to find a way to battle through it."

Foligno said everyone seems to understand that the goal this season is just to get better.