The Edmonton Oilers announced Monday that they have signed forward Corey Perry to a one-year contract with an average annual value of $775,000 plus performance bonuses. The signing comes two months after Perry, a veteran of nearly 20 NHL seasons and former league MVP, was cut by the Chicago Blackhawks for "unacceptable conduct".
Perry, 38, issued an apology for his termination by the Blackhawks in December -- which was prompted by what was referred to only as a "workplace matter" -- saying that he had been seeking counseling to deal with alcohol abuse problems. Perry recently met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman but was at no point prohibited from signing with another team.
"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 in an introductory press conference on Monday, per the AP. "That was at the front of it is take care of yourself, get yourself in a better position and move on from there."
"He'll make our team better."#Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch talks about what Corey Perry will bring to the lineup & provides a timeline on when he thinks the veteran forward will make his debut.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/NW3WmFedZ3
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 22, 2024
Perry, who won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and earned the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2010-11, joins the Oilers as the team continues on a 13-game winning streak and tries to posture to make a run at their first Stanley Cup since 1990. Between 2020 and 2022, Perry played in the Stanley Cup Finals three years in a row on three different teams but lost each time.
For salary cap reasons, Perry's contract can be registered with the NHL only when Adam Erne clears waivers or is claimed by another team.
