Longtime NHLer Corey Perry is about to begin his 20th NHL season. But has he done enough to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame? Adam Proteau takes a look.
Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry is under contract for what could be his final NHL season.
The right winger – who’ll turn 40 years old in May – could add his second Stanley Cup championship to his resume if he and the Oilers win one more playoff game than they did last year. But even if he doesn’t go out on a Cup-winning note and decides to retire tomorrow, does Perry have what it takes to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame? The answer may surprise you.
The criteria to qualify for the Hall of Fame as a player includes “playing ability, sportsmanship, character and contributions to his or her team or teams and to the game of hockey in general.”
There are some questions in some of those areas. Perry is known for getting under the skin of opposing teams rather than being the perfect picture of sportsmanship on the ice. The NHL suspended Perry on three occasions as well for elbowing up high.
The Chicago Blackhawks also terminated his contract in November 2023, saying he violated his contract and team policies intended to promote a safe and professional work environment. Both parties reached an undisclosed settlement afterward, according to the Associated Press.
However, another drawback for Perry could be that he hasn’t averaged at least a point per game throughout his 19-season NHL career.
Perry has played 1,311 regular-season games, generating 429 goals and 905 points. Part of the issue is Perry has played 81 or 82 games in a season only two times since 2017, but the fact he’s produced 82 or more points only twice in his career could hurt him in the eyes of the HHOF selection committee.
On the other hand, Perry has done it all in hockey’s top league.
He won a Cup with Anaheim in 2006-07. He won a Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP in 2010-11, when he posted a career-best 50 goals and 98 points. He won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy that same season in a tie with Sidney Crosby. He was a first-team all-star on two different occasions, and he played in four All-Star Games.
Even when looking beyond his NHL career, Perry is one of only 30 players in the Triple Gold Club as someone who's won the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal and World Championship gold. And before even making The Show, Perry Earned a world juniors gold medal, the OHL's most outstanding player award, the CHL's Memorial Cup and Memorial Cup MVP honors in 2004-05.
Those are no small feats, and they demonstrate that, at his peak, Perry was exactly the type of needle-mover who winds up in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Perry’s willingness to get nasty on the ice could affect his chances of getting into the HHOF, and he’s earned the ire of opposing team fans because of his willingness to step up to the line and, occasionally, cross it. But if this writer is being completely honest, we have to give Perry his due.
There’s a reason why teams that are front-runners for a Cup win keep signing Perry to contracts. They know he’s no longer at his peak, but his drive to succeed is more than a little bit appealing to championship-caliber franchises.
Like him or loathe him, by the time he’s done playing, Perry will have made a good case to be inducted into the HHOF. He’s not a clear-cut, first-ballot inductee, but he has done enough to merit serious consideration. And nobody should be completely shocked if he does get into hockey's hallowed hall at some point.
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