In a new interview with Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, veteran winger Corey Perry spoke of his excitement to return to California to continue his playing career. After spending the last year and a half with the Edmonton Oilers, Perry signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Los Angeles Kings this offseason.
Despite spending the first 14 years of his career with a California-based team, it’s been six years since he’s played for one. After having the final two years of his eight-year, $69MM extension with the Anaheim Ducks bought out before the 2019-20 season, Perry scored 76 goals and 159 points in 404 games between the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, and Oilers. He’s been more successful in the postseason, scoring 28 goals and 52 points in 119 games, including five trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
Still, Perry is far better known for his play in Orange County over the years, scoring 372 goals and 776 points in 988 games as a Duck. Outside of helping the team win their first and only Stanley Cup championship in 2007, Perry earned the Hart Memorial and Maurice Richard Trophy during the 2010-11 season. Although he’s a native of Peterborough, Ontario, Perry considers California home, saying, “Playing in California, playing in Anaheim for 14 years, you kind of call that home. It was a big part of my career, my life, and it always will be.”
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- In a new mailbag from The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus, the columnist opines that while he may not start the season on the Blackhawks’ roster, we should expect to see prospect Nick Lardis at some point during the 2025-26 season. To push back a bit, it may not be the worst idea for Chicago to give Lardis a nine-game tryout this season. The former 67th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft had an unbelievable year in the OHL last season, scoring 71 goals and 117 points in 65 games for the Brantford Bulldogs. If the brief tryout doesn’t go well, the Blackhawks can demote him to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, since he’s 20 years old.
- In a write-up on the last pick of the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Cullen Potter explained to Aaron Vickers of NHL.com that instead of having a role model in the NHL, Potter has modeled his game after his mother’s, U.S.A. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Jenny Schmidgall-Potter. The recent pick of the Calgary Flames and a sophomore at Arizona State University was quoted saying, “I haven’t watched too much tape, but just at the outdoor rinks I definitely probably mimic some of her stuff. I think some people that watched her play say I mimic her a little bit.”
Perry can now hangout with his old drinking buddies in SoCal.
I love Corey Perry. I’m not looking forward to the oil playing against him again!
@mcdavidlikeamac — Having visions of Perry channelling his inner Sumo Wrassler again? I remember CC on the PxP that night saying, “Are you watching this?” One of the most crap-called games in years.
Five solid players just became available.
This post discriminates against liquid players. -CBC in Canada
@Peter Puck — And the gaseous ones, too. You can smell them a mile away, especially after a pre-game meal of spicy pork & broccoli.
God if only the Kings took Perry in 2003 instead of Brian Boyle and Jeff Tambellini…
interesting, you never see a player model their game after their mother, most players have hockey dad’s, hope Potter’s career works out for him and he becomes a solid NHLer, great job by his mom
Potter didn’t exactly say he modeled his game after his mom in the article. Naturally he learned things from her.
Does this mean the Kings will lose in the Stanley Cup Finals this year?
Not sure this team has what it takes to make the playoffs. A big let down so far.