Oilers ‘better, deeper, more competitive’ after signing Corey Perry for rest of season

After Corey Perry was released by Chicago in November, there were a number of NHL teams interested in the veteran forward.

A chance to play with Connor McDavid and the surging Edmonton Oilers proved too good for Perry to pass up.

The Oilers announced Monday that Perry signed a one-year, $775,000 US deal with the team, He could make more in performance bonuses.

“There were some other suitors out there that were great options, and I want to thank them,” Perry said after practising for the first time with the Oilers at Rogers Place.

“But it all kept coming back here. When you have a six-year-old kid and you have Connor McDavid on the team, you kind of follow the Edmonton Oilers.

“All jokes aside, this team is going in the right direction. Not just because they’ve won 13 games in a row, but you can see where they’re going and their mindset and the vision that they have. They want to win a Stanley Cup.”

Neither the team nor the 38-year-old Perry revealed details of exactly what occurred to lead to the termination. He and the Players’ Association have until next week to decide whether to file a grievance to recoup some of the money.

Perry declined to answer when asked if he would file a grievance or to shed any more light on what happened with Chicago. At a news conference with Holland, he thanked friends, family and counsellors for their assistance the past two months.

Worked with mental health, substance abuse experts

“I really had a chance to reflect and get the help and take full responsibility for what happened in Chicago and try to better myself,” Perry said. “From where I was two months ago to where I am today, it’s been a world of difference — the help I’ve gotten and from where I’ve come from.”

Chicago said in a statement at the time an internal investigation showed Perry acted in violation of his NHL contract and the team’s policies. Perry said after his release the behaviour that led to his dismissal was “inappropriate and wrong,” and he started working with mental health and substance abuse experts.

Perry apologized in late December and said he was seeking help for alcohol abuse. He recently met with commissioner Gary Bettman but was never prohibited by the league to sign with another club.

“When everything happened and my contract was terminated, I didn’t know where things were going to go, so at first I took care of myself,” Perry said. “That was at the front of it is take care of yourself, get yourself in a better position and move on from there.

We’re adding a player that … plays playoff hockey: greasy, gritty, dirty, heavy on the puck down low.— Oilers GM Ken Holland on new addition Corey Perry

“If you need the help, go find it and treat yourself. When I get up in the morning every day now, I can look myself in the mirror and be happy about myself and where I’m going. I’m proud of what I’ve done over the last two months.”

A Stanley Cup champion with Anaheim in 2007 and two-time Olympic gold medallist for Canada in 2010 then 2014, Perry is in his 19th season. He reached the Cup final three years in a row with three different teams from 2020-22.

“You’re trying to make the team better,” said Holland, who got to know Perry a bit at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. “We’re adding a player that, in my opinion, plays playoff hockey: greasy, gritty, dirty, heavy on the puck down low.”

Last move before March 8 trade deadline?

The Oilers are 23-6 since firing head coach Jay Woodcroft and replacing him with Kris Knoblauch, vaulting from near the bottom of the standings to third place in the Pacific Division and on track to make the playoffs.

Perry’s contract can be registered with the league on Tuesday when Adam Erne clears waivers or is claimed by another team because the Oilers did not have enough cap space Monday. This is the latest move they’re making to try to win the franchise’s first championship since 1990 but may not be the last before the March 8 trade deadline.

“We’re on a great run, but we’re going to lose some games here,” Holland said. “It’s the National Hockey League and there’s 40 games to go. Today I think we got our team better, deeper, bigger, stronger, more competitive.”

McDavid said Perry’s addition is another piece for a team in the midst of a 13-game winning streak.

“I don’t think there’s any messages that need to be sent from the front office,” he said. “I think, collectively, as an organization, we know where we’re at in terms of wanting to win. We’re definitely past that phase of management sending messages and vice versa. Obviously, Perry’s been brought in to be a part of our group and help us achieve what we want to achieve.”

Perry was a first-round pick (28th overall) in the 2003 draft and has amassed 421 goals and 471 assists in 1,273 NHL regular-season games. He has four goals and nine points in 16 contests this season.

The Oilers have shown a willingness to give players a second chance. The team signed forward Evander Kane two years ago after his split with the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks terminated Kane’s deal, citing a breach of his contract and a violation AHL COVID-19 protocols. The NHL Players’ Association filed a grievance on Kane’s behalf, and the two sides settled before the matter went to arbitration.