As the Edmonton Oilers make the Stanley Cup Final, Corey Perry will be in his fourth final in five years. He will try to win his second Cup. At the age of 40, Perry is one of the few remaining members of the illustrious 2003 NHL draft class. He’s achieved everything in hockey. Perry won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks. He won the Hart Trophy as League MVP in 2010-11. He won the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2010-11 as the top goalscorer in the NHL. That’s a decorated career.
Perry and the Final
However, Perry’s missing a second ring. This will be Perry’s fifth trip to the finals in the last six seasons. All four times prior, his team has come up short. In 2020, his Dallas Stars were beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2021, the fairy-tale Montreal Canadiens were bested by the Lightning again. Perry then joined the Lightning, hoping to get that second cup in 2022, only to lose to the Colorado Avalanche. In 2024, he joined the Edmonton Oilers after some off-ice issues in Chicago and became another Stanley Cup finalist. Now, he and the Oilers will look to avenge last year’s loss.
Perry’s Career Change
When he was a Duck, Perry was a scorer. He was not a traditional point-per-game player outside of the year he won the Hart Trophy, but he is more of a top-six contributor. He averages around 60 points a year, and that was good. Scoring was more difficult then than it is now. That became the norm until he was bought out in Anaheim. His contract was too rich for his declining production in the summer of 2019. So, the Ducks decided to make a change. They bought out his deal and let him move to greener pastures.
From there, he went to Dallas. However, he wasn’t brought in to be the Corey Perry that won the Cup. He was brought in to be more of a supporting member of the cast. Perry did that well. Perry went from averaging 60 points in Anaheim to just 21 in Dallas. He was employed in a supporting role, and he played it well. He began to demonstrate that he could transition to a bottom-six role and remain effective.
From there, he has tried to find a new home. He’s bounced around, spending time on five teams in the last six years. He’s played a supporting role for contending teams, but that’s not all. Since he has won the cup, he brings that experience. He remembers the war of that 2007 Stanley Cup push. Bringing that experience to a team that lacks it is crucial. He can help others understand what it takes to win.
Failed Finals
After Dallas, Perry went to Montreal. This was the weird 2021 year where the seven Canadian teams were locked in the Canadian division. Montreal snuck into the playoffs as the 4th best team in Canada, and they proceeded to run. They came back from 3-1 down to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs, swept the Winnipeg Jets, and bested the Vegas Golden Knights. It left them with just Tampa in the final, but they inflicted Perry’s second straight Stanley Cup shortcoming.
From there, Perry went to Tampa. If you can’t beat them, join them. Tampa would make it to their third-straight Stanley Cup final, only to lose to the Colorado Avalanche. Perry spent another year in the bay, but they were eliminated in round one. From there, he went to Chicago. In the Windy City, there was an off-ice incident that had the Blackhawks terminate Perry’s employment. Chicago’s loss was Edmonton’s gain as he joined the roster, only to fall short in the final last year.
Now, he’s going back and he will be tested. Edmonton’s depth will be tested. Perry has made this trek again. He’s back fighting for his second Stanley Cup. Perry has already confirmed he plans to go again next year at the age of 41. Whether he can do that in Edmonton or not, we’ll see. But, he’ll want to break this drought. Coming so close so many times only to fall short is torture. Can the Oilers and Perry get over the hump tonight and end droughts for both the player and Canada?
Main Photo: Perry Nelson- Imagn Images
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