Stars' Corey Perry Ejected vs. Predators; 1st-Ever Ejection in Winter Classic

Dallas Stars right wing Corey Perry picked up a game misconduct in Wednesday's contest against the Nashville Predators for elbowing defenseman Ryan Ellis.  

Ellis took a long time to get up off the ice and was eventually carted to the locker room.

According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, it's the first time a player has been ejected from the Winter Classic in 12 years of the event. It was only the second time in NHL history a player has picked up a game misconduct in an outdoor contest.

It created a long walk for Perry to the locker rooms at the Cotton Bowl. AFter the game, Perry discussed the hit on Ellis, via Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News:

Meanwhile, Nashville took advantage of the major penalty with two first-period power-play goals.

Perry is in his first season in Dallas after he spent his initial 14 years with the Ducks in a stretch that included two All-Star selections, a Stanley Cup title and the 2011 Hart Trophy as the league's MVP.

The 34-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Stars worth $1.5 million this offseason, hoping to rebuild his stock after playing just 31 games last season. Though he hasn't turned many heads in 2019-20, he made a positive contribution with three goals and 10 assists in 33 games before Wednesday.

With Perry unavailable, Dallas will need younger players such as Denis Gurianov, 22, to fill in the offensive gaps.