Edmonton Oilers forward Perry putting together historical run in hopes of ending Stanley Cup curse
Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry is no stranger when it comes to playing on the NHL’s biggest stage.
The 40-year-old forward is set to play in his sixth Stanley Cup Final. He was able to win it all with the Anaheim Ducks way back in 2007, but has had some extremely bad luck ever since.
When Game 1 between the Oilers and Florida Panthers kicks off on Wednesday, it will mark Perry’s fifth appearance in the NHL’s last six Stanley Cup Finals.
Perry suited up with the Stars in 2020 (lost to Tampa Bay Lightning), the Montreal Canadiens in 2021 (lost to Lightning), the Lightning in 2022 (lost to Colorado Avalanche), and of course in 2024 where he and the Oilers fell in Game 7 to the Panthers.
The heartbreak he has gone through in recent years is rather unimaginable, though a win this time around would make it all worth it.
“This is why we play. This is what we do,” Perry said after he and the Oilers eliminated the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. “These are the things you dream about. There’s some guys in here that haven’t been [to the Cup Final], some guys in here that know that feeling. We said last year right after Game 7 that we’d be back. We’re back, and we’ll see what we can do.”
Perry is doing all he can and more to make sure it happens. He is tied with Leon Draisaitl for the team lead in goals with seven through 16 games. By doing so, he became the oldest player in NHL history to record seven goals in a single playoff run.
The goals may still come for Perry as well, as he has been placed on the first line alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins following a season-ending injury to Zach Hyman in the Western Conference Final.
To no surprise given his lengthy playoff runs over the years, Perry’s 231 career postseason games are tied with Guy Carbonneau for sixth all time. Leading that list is Chris Chelios, who suited up for 266.
“He’s been great,” Connor McDavid said of Perry. “A lot is made about how old he is, but he’s still playing like he’s in his prime. He’s producing, scoring big goals, getting under their skin, getting in on the forecheck, doing all the things that we need at this time of year. It’s been really impressive to see.”
Perry will look to keep his historic run going in the coming weeks, as he and the Oilers are gunning to bring the Stanley Cup back home to Canada for the first time since the Montreal Canadiens were able to do so in 1993.
- You might also like:
- Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final tickets are going for absurd prices