As it stands, Corey Perry is all but guaranteed to return for the 2026-27 NHL season. Albeit suffering yet another heartbreaking elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 40-year-old is still determined to chase Lord Stanley.
“I still want to continue to play,” Perry admitted recently to The Athletic. “Somebody said they’ll have to cut the skates off me before I leave this game. “Just love the day-to-day being around. It’s fun.“
Hopefully it doesn’t come down to such an extreme ending. The Tampa Bay Lightning‘s first-round elimination against the Montreal Canadiens may only make Perry hungrier. If Perry indeed returns in 2026-27, it will be his 22nd NHL season of his career.
Perry’s contract
Signed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings, Perry will see his current deal expire on July 1. Immediately after, he will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the NHL.
Corey Perry celebrates a goal
Fortunately, this isn’t Perry’s first rodeo. He has been here before and has grown accustomed to short summers with deep postseason runs and almost no time to make a decision on his future.
This time, the run wasn’t as deep, and he will have more time to make up his mind. One thing seems clear, though, and that is that Perry wants to be back for the 2026–27 campaign.
Perry’s Stanley Cup history
It’s probably the most known fact around Perry’s postseason career. The veteran has been in the losing end of the Stanley Cup Final in five of the last six NHL seasons. This time around, Perry aimed to redeem himself with the Bolts in 2025–26, whom he joined at the deadline after being traded from the Los Angeles Kings. However, Montreal had other plans, and the 2-1 defeat in Game 7 put an end to Perry’s quest. It may only be momentarily, though, as Perry is already eyeing next season.
At the end of the day, Perry was eliminated in the first round just like the Kings, though Tampa Bay lost by one goal in Game 7, whereas Los Angeles was swept. Still, only one team wins the Cup every year, and unfortunately for Perry, he won’t be hoisting the Cup that has been elusive to him since his sophomore campaign in 2007.
Still, all signs indicate he will be back for redemption next season. Whether it’s back in Tampa, Edmonton, Anaheim, or somewhere else, Perry will bring his A-game, even at 41 years old.
