Corey Perry speaks to the media for the first time since Chicago Incident

PUBLICATION

Liam McCormick
January 22, 2024 (2:03 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Yesterday afternoon, the Edmonton Oilers finally made the move they were long rumoured to do, and officially signed Corey Perry to a contract for the remainder of this season. The 38 year old veteran joined the team for practice today, and is expected to keep ramping up in practice before joining the lineup for a game before the all star break.

After practice today, Perry was made available to the media alongside GM Ken Holland to speak about the signing. Of course, it was also Perry's first media availability since the incident in Chicago, and both Holland and Perry were questioned about it. Perry himself made a great statement about how he's learned from his actions in Chicago, and has received help with his problems and genuinely feels himself to be a better person.

Here's video of Perry addressing the last two months:

Both Perry and Holland refused to mention any detail of the incident that occurred in Chicago, but maintained the fact that Perry has since daughter help, was approved to return after conversations with the commissioner, and the Oilers have conducted their own investigation. In all, whatever happened in Chicago doesn't seem to be a major offence.

On the hockey side, both Perry and Holland expressed great excitement about the deal. For the Oilers, Perry will provide talent and scoring in the bottom six, and also a breadth of Stanley Cup playoff experience and leadership for a team looking to go the distance. For Perry, he received another shot in the NHL and a chance for a Stanley Cup if the Oilers live up to expectations. He also spoke about his excitement to join the Oilers specifically, a team he always thought he'd end up on through his career, and now joining the best player in the world in McDavid.

The Perry signing truly seems like a great fit, and the Oilers have just essentially made one of the best value trade deadline moves possible this year.