CHICAGO --Corey Perry said he has a few more years of hockey left in him, and he's ready for a chance to work with Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Perry, a 38-year-old forward, has played 18 seasons in the NHL and made his debut Oct. 5, 2005, less than three months after Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was born.
"I'm excited for this opportunity, and obviously with Connor coming in and being the player that he is," Perry said Friday. "I've watched many games of his, especially in the World Juniors, so it's an exciting time for the Blackhawks."
Chicago acquired Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on June 29. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Blackhawks the next day.
He had 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 81 regular-season games for the Lightning last season and five points (two goals, three assists) in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Perry said he fully intended to play this season and that "there was no thought of retirement and there still isn't. I feel I could have a few more years left in me."
Much like forwards Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall, whom the Blackhawks acquired from the Boston Bruins on June 26, Perry said he can still make an impact.
"You never want to hear, 'We're going to go in a different direction,' and that's kind of been the fire that has lit me," Perry said. "I heard it in Anaheim when they bought me out (in 2019). It's something that fuels me and I'm excited to see where this goes."
Perry is a tough-nosed player who wasn't exactly a fan favorite in Chicago, given his past heated battles with the Blackhawks, be it the regular season or the 2015 Western Conference Final, when Chicago defeated Anaheim in seven games.
"Yeah, but at the end of the day, that's kind of been everywhere I've gone the last few years, it's been that way," Perry said with a smile. "There have been some heated moments, myself against this team, but I'm happy to be on this side, excited to see where this season goes."
The No. 28 pick by Anaheim in the 2003 NHL Draft, Perry has 883 points (417 goals, 466 assists) in 1,257 regular-season games for the Lightning, Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Ducks. He has 124 points (53 goals, 71 assists) in 196 playoff games, winning the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007.
Perry won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 2010-11, when he led the League with 50 goals. He had 98 points, third in the NHL that season behind Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks (104 points) and Martin St. Louis of the Lightning (99 points).
In Perry, the Blackhawks got another veteran to help their younger players navigate their start in the NHL. Perry is ready to do that for Bedard and others.
"It's not so much for me on the ice, it's away from the rink, it's in the dressing room, just being a good teammate," Perry said. "Just trying to help [Bedard] with day-to-day stuff. Trying to make sure he knows what to do, where to go, be on time. All those kind of things. Then the on ice stuff, it will take over as the season goes."
Chicago (26-49-7) finished 30th in the NHL standings last season and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
"This league's not easy, especially when you're 18, 19, 20 years old coming into the League," Perry said. "You have to get your feet wet, try to figure out where you fit, and I just try to help them."
