The Los Angeles Kings are ready to make a statement in the 2025-26 NHL season. As they open the campaign against the Colorado Avalanche, the first big challenge presents itself for LA, as Corey Perry is away from the ice in the City of Angels.
After four consecutive first-round exits, the mission for the Kings is pretty much self-explanatory. Los Angeles has either fallen in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs or missed them altogether in their last 11 NHL seasons. Something must change in LA, and veteran Perry might flip that switch.
However, it could all be off to a bad start, as the 40-year-old is unable to make his debut with the Kings when they take on the Avalanche on October 7. With Perry out, the pressure only increases for other veterans—namely, Anze Kopitar, who will gear up for the last season opener of his NHL career.
Why is Corey Perry not playing?
Perry sustained a knee injury during one of the Kings’ practices in the NHL preseason. The Stanley Cup-winning veteran underwent surgery and was expected to be sidelined for six or eight weeks. His estimated timeline projects him to make his debut as an LA King in late October.
Corey Perry arrives at Amerant Bank Arena for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final
The last thing head coach Jim Hiller and the medical staff in Los Angeles want is to rush Perry’s recovery. Being 40 in the NHL is not easy, and re-aggravating the issue could be catastrophic for the veteran’s career.
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New surroundings
Perry is definitely familiar with the faces around the Kings. Spending most of his career on the Anaheim Ducks (where he won the Stanley Cup in 2007), and playing recently for the Edmonton Oilers, he definitely knows his way around the arena in downtown LA. However, he has yet to walk into it as a member of the home team.
As Perry transitions into his new organization, an injury right from the get-go is far from an ideal start. Still, if there’s something Perry is used to, it’s adversity—and that has never stopped him from chasing Lord Stanley. Though his record in the Final could haunt him, for the veteran it’s only added motivation.
Flipping the script
His surroundings have changed; he is no longer in frosty Edmonton. Now, he’s back in the Golden State—back where his journey began. It could all come full circle for Perry. It’s time to slay the demons of the past for Perry and the Kings. If their trends combine, they could be in for glory.
Perry has made it to the Stanley Cup Final in five of the last six seasons, while Los Angeles hasn’t made it out of the first round since 2014. The last time the Kings did, though, they went all the way to hoist Lord Stanley. Luckily for them, if such a Cinderella story can ever take place, it should be in Hollywood.
