Corey Perry has had a very unusual path back to the Stanley Cup Final this season and he's no stranger to helping the teams he plays for go this deep into the playoffs. As a veteran of 19 seasons, Perry has had his fair share of chances in the playoffs, appearing there 16 times. He now holds the record for appearing in the Stanley Cup Final with five different teams as the Edmonton Oilers advanced past the Dallas Stars and into the final. Perry has played for six total teams and the one that he didn't make it to the Stanley Cup Final with was the Chicago Blackhawks. This was of course because his contract was terminated after 16 games to start the 2023-24 season. Luke Richardson called Corey Perry's healthy scratch an "organizational decision." When talking about the Corey Perry Stanley Cup Final curse, it has become a trend that any team he plays for makes it all the way to the final and loses. This has happened three times in the past four years, starting with the Stars in 2019-20, then the Montreal Canadiens in 2020-21, and followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021-22. Unfortunately for Perry, the teams he played for both lost to the Lightning in the final before he joined them and lost for a third time in a row. The year Perry took off from appearing in the Stanley Cup Final was last season (2022-23). He was still with the Lightning, so he didn't owe them another final run. Now he wasn't going to make the final with the Blackhawks, so it just so happens he landed on one of the two teams that made it all the way. Nobody can be certain that the Oilers would or wouldn't have made the Cup Final without Perry, but even after being a healthy scratch at the end of the Vancouver Canucks series and for the start of the Stars series, he made his mark. I don't think he'll be coming out of the lineup again as he seems to be back to his playoff form of causing chaos and mixing it up. That is going to be needed against this Florida Panthers team. In order for the Perry Stanley Cup Final curse to be lifted, the Oilers are going to have to take home the Cup this year. The Panthers are the favorites, but Connor McDavid and company have been on a mission ever since the team was 31st in the league and there was the coaching change. Perry wasn't there for the very tough start, but he was along for the ride and helped in a number of wins to get Edmonton here. Fortunately, Perry has won a Stanley Cup in his career or all of these close losses in the final would be even more heartbreaking for him. Even so, Perry won the Cup at 21 years old with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and he's now 39. A lot of eyes will be on him in the final series of the 2024 playoffs to see if he can take home the Stanley Cup in potentially his last season. RECENT BLACKHAWKS NEWS Connor Bedard's On-Ice Practice "Extras" Are Serious Business [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/players/connor-bedards-on-ice-practice-extras-are-serious-business] Blackhawks Add Former Calgary Flames, Sportsnet TV Play-By-Play Voice Rick Ball [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-add-former-calgary-flames-sportsnet-tv-play-by-play-announcer-rick-ball] Blackhawks Should Express Trade Interest in Jets' Cole Perfetti [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-should-express-trade-interest-in-jets-cole-perfetti] Blackhawks Coach Luke Richardson Inducted In Hometown Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-coach-luke-richardson-inducted-in-hometown-ottawa-sport-hall-of-fame]
