The Curse of Corey Perry Now Extends to the Edmonton Oilers

He’s become a trivia question now either on Jeopardy some day or in a bar somewhere with hockey mavens waiting for a chance to pounce. Corey Perry, who was Public Enemy #1 in Chicago for over a decade, signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks after a trade with Tampa Bay last June. That ended with a disastrous week in November, with Perry’s contract being terminated by the Blackhawks following an inappropriate workplace matter that was never fully revealed.

Perry later released his own statement, seeking help for alcohol abuse and taking time away from the sport. In January after speaking with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Perry signed a one-year deal with the Oilers to try and add a little bit of grit and veteran presence.

So when Perry and the Oilers ended up in the Stanley Cup Final, it looked like a chance for Perry to get a storybook ending to what had been a hellish few months.

The Oilers missed out on that chance, falling 2-1 to the Florida Panthers in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final Monday night. That storybook ending was slammed shut and instead, made way for a disappointing bit of hockey history that no player, let alone Perry, would want to be a part of.

Four Losses With Four Different Teams for Corey Perry

Perry’s dubious achievement is losing with four different organizations in five seasons–all in the Stanley Cup Final. In 2020, his Dallas Stars fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2021 as a member of the Montreal Canadiens, he once again saw the Lightning hoist the Cup. 2022 saw him go for the three-peat with the Lightning–only to get the reverse Marian Hossa treatment and lose, instead of win with that third consecutive appearance in a Final.

Then there’s 2024, a fourth Stanley Cup Final in five seasons–likely the cruelest of all after the Oilers climbed out of a 3-0 hole to fall short of the Cup by a goal.