Oilers’ Corey Perry confirms he has no plans to retire this summer

At 40 years old, Corey Perry is gearing up for his sixth Stanley Cup Finals appearance this week. And with nearly 1400 career games played already, the veteran NHLer says he’s still got more in the tank.

Speaking to the media Tuesday ahead of the series opener between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers Wednesday night, Perry said he’s never thought about retirement and has no plans to start doing so this summer, confirming he’ll be returning for his 21st NHL season this October, per Chris Johnston.

Perry is currently at the end of a one-year, $1.4 million contract he signed on July 1st last year, after originally joining the Oilers midway through the 2023-24 season. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent once again this summer, and given how he has played for the Oilers this postseason, there’s no doubt a number of teams would be interested in bringing him on as a low-cost depth piece, Edmonton included.

Playing in all 16 games with the Oilers so far this postseason, he is tied for fourth in the league in goals with seven, amassing 10 points overall as he continues to put up one of his best playoff performances of the last decade with one more series to play.

Come this Wednesday, Perry will have appeared in five of the last six Stanley Cup Finals, looking to change his luck as he holds an 0-4 record across those last four appearances, with the Dallas Stars in 2020, the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, and the Edmonton Oilers last season. The Ontario native last hoisted the Cup in his sophomore season with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and is now hoping to add at least one more ring to his collection this June.

To say Perry has already had a storied career would be a gross understatement. At 40 years old, he continues to break NHL records, including the most goals by a player 39 years or older in a single postseason, set last week, and being the player to have scored with the most different teams in a Stanley Cup Final, having done so in all five of his appearances with all different franchises. And with full intent of returning for another year in the NHL, there’s no telling what else the veteran skater can still accomplish.