Players in the 2026 NHL Draft class had not been born yet when Corey Perry first hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
As the wave of young talent continues to flood the National Hockey League, Perry is set to embark on his 22nd season after signing with the Los Angeles Kings on July 1. He will be the second-oldest player in the league in 2026-27 at 41, trailing only Colorado Avalanche defenceman Brent Burns, who is two months older.
In Brampton for the Smilezone Foundation annual celebrity golf tournament, Perry explained his decision to play another season on TSN Radio 1050 Monday morning.
“I love the game and I’m still having fun,” said Perry. “I feel great, I still feel young and that’s probably the thing that keeps me going, is I keep telling myself that I feel young.”
He admits though it’s a little tougher at 41 to get out of bed in the morning.
“But yeah, probably as you get older, it’s a little harder to get up in the morning, go to the gym, go skate,” Perry added.
Perry has skated in 1,464 career NHL games and is third all-time in playoff games played at 244, trailing only Chris Chelos (266) and Nicklas Lidstrom (263).
The Peterborough, Ont., native spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Anaheim, where he captured the Hart and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies in 2011 after a 50-goal season.
Since then, he has suited up for the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers and Kings. He finished the 2025-26 season with the Lightning after being acquired from the Kings at the trade deadline.
Perry has notably played in six Stanley Cup Finals, with five of them coming since the start of the decade. But his Stanley Cup total remains at one, and it has been nearly 20 years since he won that title with the Ducks.
An unrestricted free agent once again this summer, Perry decided to return to the west coast for another crack with the Kings. Los Angeles made the playoffs last season but were swept in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche.
“We just loved it out there,” said Perry of Los Angeles. “The family fell in love with LA. I can’t say enough good things about the organization and what they do top to bottom. And Kenny [Holland] is trying to put a team together to make another push and take another run. And I feel that this team can take the next steps and see where it goes.”
While Kings captain Anze Kopitar retired at the end of last season, the team will have a full season of Artemi Panarin after acquiring him at the trade deadline while bringing back Perry and Scott Laughton. Veteran forwards Mats Zuccarello and Erik Haula also signed as free agents on July 1.
One of the perks of continuing his NHL career for Perry is having his young son, Griffin, being able to experience him still playing.
“It really is amazing,” said Perry. “He knows the NHL now. It’s cool that he understands that I’m still playing. He knows more about the game than I do, and he knows all the stats and with all the all the young guys coming into the league, and it’s really fun to have him around and be a part of it.”
