Corey Perry Not Ready to Retire, Wants to Return to Canadiens

Corey Perry isn’t ready to hang up his skates. When asked in a media avail if he intends to play next season, he responded, “Yes, I intend to play hockey next year.” That’s good news for the Montreal Canadiens, or for whatever team ends up making a pitch to land the veteran unrestricted free agent this summer.

Perry added, “I still think I have a lot of good hockey left in me.” He then said he’d love to return to the Montreal Canadiens and experience playing in Montreal when things are as they would traditionally be in a normal season. “I would love to experience Montreal for being Montreal.”

Perry even acted as partial salesman for the team when he said that anyone who was thinking about considering the Canadiens should know that it’s everything a player might imagine it could be. Calling the Canadiens a first-class organization, they do everything with a purpose and he’s really enjoyed his time here.

Whether the Canadiens feel the same way about Perry as Perry feels about the Canadiens isn’t entirely clear. Logic suggests the team should be happy with what he brought on and off the ice this past season. When you consider he was a late addition and an inexpensive one, how can GM Marc Bergevin complain? Perry did anything and everything that was asked, including being a healthy scratch and staying loyal to the team when he was placed on the taxi squad on a couple of occasions. When he did step into the lineup, he was effective.

Perry Is Worth Another Look

Perry posted 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 49 games in during the shortened 2020-21 regular season and added 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 22 postseason contests. Now 36, he will have interested teams calling about his availability. He was passed over by a number of the clubs that may now call, and it could take a decent amount of money over what Montreal might offer to get him to leave.

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