EDMONTON 鈥� Corey Perry won his first Stanley Cup in his second NHL season while with the Anaheim Ducks. Seventeen years later, he鈥檚 still looking for ring No. 2.
It鈥檚 not for lack of trying. As a veteran member of the Edmonton Oilers, he鈥檚 about to play in his fourth Cup final in the last five years.
He鈥檚 lost it as a member of the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. In fact, the 鈥淧erry Curse鈥� is something you can find online pretty easily.
鈥淚 never had the opportunity to play for a Stanley Cup (again) until five years ago,鈥� said Perry. 鈥淪o, there was 12 years, 13 years, in between. You never really know if you鈥檙e going to get back there. Every year goes by and you鈥檙e out in the first round, second round, third round. And you鈥檙e just like, 鈥榰gh, maybe next year.鈥� And they just keep adding up.鈥�
Perry continues his quest for his second Cup when the Oilers face the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup final, starting Saturday.
Perry has lost three Cup finals in the last half-decade, but he isn鈥檛 alone on the 鈥渨oulda, shoulda, coulda list.鈥� Trade deadline acquisition Adam Henrique, penalty-killing ace Mattias Janmark and defensive stalwart Mattias Ekholm are among the Oilers that have been on the losing ends of the NHL finals in the past. And they hope that experience can drive them to take the Oilers鈥� Cup quest that one step further in 2024.
Ekholm and his Predators teammates lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017. He warned that, if players get lost in the spectacle of it all, the series can be over awfully fast. He felt it took the Predators too long to remember that their most important job was to play hockey.
鈥淥bviously, we got off to a rough start,鈥� Ekholm recalled. 鈥淲e lost both on the road, and it was almost like it took a game and a half when we figured out that 鈥榦h, we have to play hockey, too?鈥� It鈥檚 not just a big All-Star Game or a big showcase."
Ekholm said the lesson he learned is that a final brings a lot of distractions, including media requests 鈥渓eft and right.鈥� There鈥檚 almost a full week between the conference finals and the Stanley Cup final, so there鈥檚 a chance this year to have some off days and better deal with the media frenzy.
鈥淲hen it comes 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday night, we have to be dialled in and ready to go.鈥�
Janmark was in the Edmonton COVID bubble with the Dallas Stars when they lost the 2020 final to the Lightning. Even with no fans in the building, he said the emotions and distractions can get the better of a player.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of emotions involved, especially when you win the conference final. You get the trophy and whatnot, the hats and everything,鈥� he said,
鈥淚 was in the bubble so we kind of got thrust into the final right away. Now we鈥檝e got some time to handle it.鈥�
For Perry, this will be the first time he can truly savour what it鈥檚 like to be on a Canadian team in the Cup final. Sure, he was with the Habs in 2021, when they came back from 3-1 deficit in the first round against Toronto, then went on a run, only to lose to Tampa Bay. But COVID had a major impact on the season, with games played in empty or nearly empty arenas.
鈥淲hen I was in Montreal, it was COVID 鈥�. I think we had 3,000 or 4,000 fans, that was it in a place like the Bell Centre. It鈥檚 not quite the same. It鈥檚 a different atmosphere, a different animal, when you have fans.鈥�
Henrique was a rookie when he got to his first Stanley Cup final. He was part of a New Jersey Devils team that lost to the Los Angeles Kings in 2012.
He said, at the time, he was naive about just how hard it is to get to a Cup final.
鈥淵ou think we鈥檒l just be in the playoffs next year and hopefully get back here and get another opportunity,鈥� Henrique said. 鈥淏ut that doesn鈥檛 happen. There鈥檚 a lot that goes in behind the scenes and with contract situations. There is so much that changes team to team, every single year.
鈥淭o be here and go on a run has been a lot of fun.鈥�
The Panthers, of course, lost the 2023 final to Vegas. It was not a close series. The Golden Knights won it in five 鈥� and three of the four wins were blowouts. Will Florida be able to take that experience forward?
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was asked about it.
鈥淓xperience is good,鈥� said Knoblauch. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how much experience is beneficial. You can ask the Buffalo Bills how important Super Bowl experience is.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2024.
Steven Sandor, The Canadian Press
