Oilers winger Corey Perry has officially made NHL history

Perry has had a lengthy but illustrious career that has spanned 19 seasons with 6 different NHL clubs. After being drafted in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Perry made a name for himself with the Anaheim Ducks scoring 372 goals and 776 points across 14 seasons which included a Rocket Richard Trophy, a Hart Trophy, and a Stanley Cup.

The Ducks were crowned NHL champions in just Perry's second season in 2006-07 but he has not tasted that same level of success ever since. In saying that, he has now become the first player in the history of the sport to have clinched a berth to the Stanley Cup Finals with 5 different teams after the Oilers defeated the Dallas Stars this weekend in 6 games.

Apart from the Stanley Cup ring he won in Anaheim, Perry went another 13 years before he reached the finals again. He made it as a member of the Stars during the playoff bubble in 2020 when they lost to Tampa Bay. Perry would then make a surprise run to the finals the following season with Montreal where they lost to Tampa Bay again before he eventually joined the Lightning in 2021-22, where he lost for the third straight year - this time against Colorado.

I don't think anyone expected Perry to make a deep playoff run this season since he started out with the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. However, his contract was terminated in the middle of the season before he was reinstated by the commissioner and then signed a deal with the Oilers at league minimum.

It hasn't been the most productive season of his career with just 22 points in 54 regular season games and just 1 assist in 13 post-season contests and at the age of 39, his best offensive seasons are behind him. His veteran leadership, experience, tenacity, and pest-like behaviour, though, is what draws interest from contending clubs.

Nevertheless, Perry will look to win the second championship of his career with the Oilers, who are looking to snap Canada's winless streak as well. The last Canadian team to have won the Stanley Cup were the Montreal Canadiens back in 1993. The Oilers, on the other hand, haven't won a Cup since 1990 and this is just their 2nd trip to the Finals since then with their most recent trip in 2006 ending in heartbreak against Carolina.