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Corey Perry Reveals Surprising Retirement Plans Prior to Stanley Cup Finals

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 4:46 PM ET

While speaking to reporters today, Oilers' Corey Perry made the announcement that he has not thought about retirement, and plans to play next season at age 41.

The Edmonton Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for a second straight year, but for veteran forward Corey Perry, this is not just familiar ground; it's nearly business as usual.

Now 40, Perry is playing in the Final for the fifth time in six years. He missed the Cup Final just once since the bubble playoffs of 2020, playing for four different teams since then. No matter how consistent, a championship has been elusive.

Perry's path was one that began in 2020 with Dallas, which lost their Final to Tampa Bay. In 2021, he signed with Montreal, to again lose to the Lightning.

In 2022, Perry flipped sides and signed with Tampa Bay, in hopes of getting his three-peat, but the Lightning were upstaged by Colorado. His lone Finals miss came in 2023, when Tampa lost in the first round to Toronto.

Perry is chasing the second Stanley Cup of his career

Then, in 2024, Perry signed with Edmonton and made it back to the Final again, falling just short of the Florida Panthers in seven games. And now, in 2025, it's a rematch with Florida, and Perry looks for that elusive second Cup.

And don't expect this to be his last shot at it either. Perry has indicated he's not even thinking about retirement and is going to play next season, even as he turns 41 years old, which was reported by NHL insider Chris Johnston.