With 19 NHL seasons behind him, forward Corey Perry is by far the oldest member of the Edmonton Oilers. In fact, he’s the fourth-oldest player in the entire league.
But while many see him as someone knocking on the door of retirement, the gritty winger doesn’t seem ready to hang up his skates anytime soon.
Speaking with a TVA Sports journalist ahead of Monday’s loss against the Montreal Canadiens — Perry’s team during the 2020-21 season — the 39-year-old revealed that he believes he has “five more years” in him.
Y croyez-vous? 🤔https://t.co/epaAQl1oSV
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 18, 2024
The sentiment is nothing new. Perry declared the same goal when talking to reporters during Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
“I’ve got more in me. I’ve got lots more in me,” Perry said after the Oilers’ final practice of the 2023-24 season. “Five more years.”
Part of Perry’s drive to keep playing stems from being on the losing end of four Stanley Cup Finals in the past five years.
“It’s frustrating. They never get easier,” Perry admitted on Monday. “Four of the last five years, I haven’t had the ending we wanted. That’s why I’m still playing.”
Despite the heartbreak, Perry remains convinced Edmonton’s roster has what it takes to lift hockey’s top prize — a feat he accomplished in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks.
“It’s there. It’s in this room,” the Peterborough, Ontario, native said of the Oilers. “You can’t look too far ahead, but we have to know what’s at stake.”
Perry, who has three goals and four points so far this season, may not be the 50-goal scorer he once was. But with 1,330 games and 909 points under his belt, he remains an invaluable leadership asset — for as long he can still lace them up.