Former Chicago winger Perry signs with Edmonton
Bruins win fifth-straight over Jets; Devils best Golden Knights in OT
EDMONTON, Alberta — The Edmonton Oilers agreed to terms Monday with Corey Perry on a contract for the remainder of the season, adding the veteran winger to the hottest team in the NHL nearly two months since the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his contract for unacceptable conduct.
Perry, 38, is getting a deal for a pro-rated league minimum $775,000 plus performance bonuses. He has already joined the team for practice, and general manager Ken Holland said the organization is aiming for Perry to make his debut Saturday against Nashville.
Neither the team nor 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 the Blackhawks. At a news conference with Holland, he thanked friends, family and counselors for their assistance over the past two months.
“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.”
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.”
Holland said he spoke with Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson about Perry, who also had a handful of other teams interested in signing him, and came away willing to sign him.
A Stanley Cup champion with Anaheim in 2007 and two-time Olympic gold medalist 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.”
The Oilers have won 13 games in a row, a record among teams based in Canada. They’re 23-6 since firing coach Jay Woodcroft and replacing him with Kris Knoblauch, vaulting from near the bottom of the standings to playoff contention.
“This team’s going in the right direction and not just because they’ve won 13 games in a row,” Perry said.
Monday’s games DEVILS 6, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5 (OT):
In Newark, N.J., Tyler Toffoli scored 2:35 into overtime to complete his second hat trick of the season as New Jersey rallied to beat Vegas.
Curtis Lazar had two goals and Nico Hischier also scored for the Devils, who had lost three of four. Simon Nemec and Nathan Bastian each had two assists, and Vitek Vanecek stopped 28 shots.
Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and Nicolas Roy added a goal and two assists for Vegas. Pavel Dorofeyev and Chandler Stephenson also scored for the Golden Knights. Logan Thompson finished with 32 saves.
The Devils trailed 5-3 late in the second period before Toffoli scored with 16 seconds remaining and Lazar got his second of the night at 9:14 of the third to tie the score.
Toffoli won it was his team-leading 20th of the season midway through the extra period for his sixth career hat trick. He also had one on Oct. 24 at Montreal.
BRUINS 4, JETS 1: In Boston, Charlie Coyle scored the tiebreaking goal late in the opening period and Boston’s tight defense carried them to their fifth-straight victory.
Jake DeBrusk and Jakub Lauko also scored as Boston improved to 10-1-3 in its last 14 games. Jeremy Swayman made 21 saves for the Bruins, who lead the Eastern Conference with 67 points.
DeBrusk’s short-handed score with 5:25 left ended the Jets’ string of holding opponents to two or fewer goals at 14 consecutive games. The Los Angeles Kings did it in 18 straight during 2013.
Brad Marchand added an empty-netter that halted Winnipeg’s streak of holding its opponent to three goals or less at 34 games. The modern NHL record is 35 games, set by the 2015 Minnesota Wild.