Corey Perry says Oilers Stanley Cup loss hurt more than past three
Heading into his second season with the Edmonton Oilers, Corey Perry knows he probably doesn’t have too many years left in the NHL.
The 39-year-old forward, who was originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks way back in 2003, has played 1,311 NHL games to date.
Perry played 38 games last season with the Oilers after the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his contract mid-year. He re-signed this past summer in Edmonton on a one-year deal worth $1.4 million.
But while he won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Ducks and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2011, Perry has become the answer to a bit of a trivia question, losing the Stanley Cup Final four times in five years with four different teams: Dallas, Montreal, Tampa Bay, and Edmonton.
Perry joined the Missin Curfew podcast hosted by former NHLers Scottie Upshall and Shane O’Brien and spoke about his recent stretch of high-profile losses.
“This one was tough because we had a chance to win,” Perry said of losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final with the Oilers this season. “The ones I’ve lost, we’ve never had a chance to win. So this one, this one hit home a little bit more.”
While plenty of players his age have hung up their skates, Perry said trying to impress his young son motivates him to keep playing.
“I have a seven-year-old little boy now, and he’s into hockey… He loves every part of it, and now he wants to see me lift that Stanley Cup. And that’s what drives me, is to see him happy,” Perry said.
Perry added that his workouts on the ice back in Edmonton are often of the early morning variety as he gears up for another season.
“This morning was quite early out there, before seven. And times have changed, with a kid and trying to stay in the game as long as I can. I gotta keep up [with] these young guys. So you gotta do a little extra,” Perry said.