January 22, 2024 by Eric Friesen

The Edmonton Oilers signed UFA right-winger Corey Perry to a one-year contract worth $775,000 plus performance bonuses on Monday. Perry will wear number 90 with the Oilers.

Back in the 2003, the Oilers had multiple opportunities to make Perry a member of the organization. First, the Oilers passed on Perry with the 22nd overall pick in that June’s draft, despite being an ideal player to grow with their young core at the time. And then in December, the Oilers had a deal in place to acquire his rights from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for Mike Comrie, but the trade fell apart when Comrie refused to pay back half of the bonuses from his entry-level contract.

In the years that followed, Perry became one of the most despised villains in Oil Country due to his well-known pest-like behavior and heartbreaking overtime winning-goal against the Oilers in Game of 5 of their second round series with the Anaheim Ducks in 2017.

Now, more than two decades after he nearly became an Oiler, Perry has finally joined the orange and blue.

“I’m excited to be here. This is a passionate fan base, it’s an exciting town and an exciting time for the Oilers organization,” said Perry in his introductory presser at Rogers Place on Monday. “You look around that room and you have some pretty tremendous players in Connor, Leon, Darnell and the list keeps going on.”

Hall of Fame resume

Perry was selected by the Mighty Ducks in the first-round (28th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft from the London Knights of the OHL. Perry played four seasons (2001-2005) with the Knights, notching 140 goals and 380 points in 253 career OHL games. Perry won the 2005 OHL championship and 2005 Memorial Cup with the Knights.

He also won the 2003-04 and 2004-05 Jim Mahon Trophy as OHL top scoring right winger, 2004-05 Eddie Powers Trophy OHL scoring champion, 2004-05 Red Tilson Trophy as OHL most outstanding player, 2004-05 Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL most valuable player in the playoffs and the 2004-05 Stafford Smythe Trophy as Memorial Cup most valuable player. In addition, Perry was named to 2001-02 OHL First All-Rookie Team, 2003-04 and 2004-05 OHL First All-Star Team, 2003-04 CHL Second All-Star Team, 2004-05 CHL First All-Star Team and the 2004-05 Memorial Cup All-Star Team.

Related: Oilers to sign Perry

The 6-foot-3, 208-pound winger has played for the Ducks (2005-2019), Dallas Stars (2019-20), Montreal Canadiens (2020-21), Tampa Bay Lightning (2021-2023) and the Chicago Blackhawks (2023), tallying 421 goals and 892 points in 1,273 career NHL games. Perry won the 2007 Stanley Cup with the Ducks and reached the Final with the Stars in 2020, the Canadiens in 2021 and the Lightning in 2022. Perry also won the 2010-11 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as goal-scoring leader and the 2010-11 Hart Memorial Trophy as most valuable player. The Peterborough, Ontario native was named to the 2010-11 and 2013-14 NHL First All-Star Team and has played in four NHL All-Star Games.

Internationally, Perry has represented Canada at the 2002 World U-17 Hockey Challenge (bronze), 2003 IIHF World U18 Championship (gold), 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship (gold), 2010 (gold) and 2014 (gold) Winter Olympics, 2016 IIHF World Championship (gold) and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey (champions).

Perry knows how to win

The 38-year-old isn’t the offensive threat he once was, but he can still chip in offensively in a supporting role. Perry had four goals and nine points in 16 games with the Chicago Blackhawks this season, which prorates to 21 goals and 46 points in a full 82-game schedule.

If Perry can put up 20 points in the final 40 games, Oilers fans should be thrilled with that production, especially since he won’t see any time on the top power-play unit. Still, he has ability to deliver in the clutch, and is often at his best in the game’s biggest moments.

While his offensive production is more in line with a third line winger now, the other elements of Perry’s game that made him such an effective player for the better part of two decades in the league remain. Perry is adept at using his size and strength to his advantage, and he thrives in the dirty areas on the ice. He also brings plenty of nastiness, and is among the best at getting under the skin of opponents.

But above all else, Perry is a winner. He has won at every level he’s played, and been a leader on those teams. Prior to his NHL career, Perry was a part of arguably the greatest major junior and under-20 international teams ever assembled. He’s a member of exclusive Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist and World champion), and he knows what it takes to win in the Stanley Cup playoffs – something the Oilers have their sights firmly set on doing this year.

“When it’s playoff time, you push everything else to the side, and your only focus for eight weeks is you have one job,” said Perry. “There’s nothing better than winning. And that’s what it comes down to. That’s why you play this game – to win.”