Why ‘there may be in point of fact no person relatively like’ Edmonton Oilers veteran Corey Perry

London Knights assistant trainer Dylan Hunter laughs at the concept he would possibly have a participant at the present roster who reminds him of his former Knights linemate, Corey Perry.

“No,” Hunter solutions, with out hesitation — and that’s no slight to his staff, which simply received its second-straight OHL championship to punch a price ticket to the Memorial Cup.  

“I mean, Perrs is on a level all his own,” Hunter says of the buddy he ultimate performed with 20 years in the past. “For a guy who’s as skilled as he is, he’s also built that unique kind of persona and character.”

Hunter says his friend’s distinctive traits have allowed him to thrive in his 20th NHL season, which has observed Perry play stretches on Edmonton’s best line along Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. As the Oilers get set to play within the Western Conference Final — they look forward to the winner of Dallas and Winnipeg — Perry co-leads Edmonton with 5 targets. Only 5 gamers within the league have scored greater than Perry this post-season.

Hunter and Perry first met as 16-year-old OHL beginners and “he hasn’t changed since,” the trainer says. “Anything we did, he used to be at all times on the lookout for that further edge to win — and he didn’t thoughts if he needed to lower a nook or two to get that edge on you. I feel a large number of professional guys don’t have that further layer — that grit, that compete — however it simply comes naturally to him.

“You just don’t see a guy that’s won an MVP award and won a Cup and at his age still like — and you know, we laugh — but he’s in front of the net, he’s on his back and he’s battling, stuff he doesn’t really have to do at this point in his career, but he’s just so competitive. He loves the game, and I think it shines through how he plays at his age still. It’s special what he’s doing.”

On Friday, two days after the Oilers dropped the Kings in 5 video games, Perry became 40. He’s the second-oldest participant within the publish season (Hurricanes defender Brent Burns is a pair months older) and Perry used to be the fourth-oldest lively participant on any roster this season, a stat led by means of goaltender Marc-André Fleury.

The veteran winger has been round lengthy sufficient that during his 2005-06 rookie season in Anaheim, he performed for no longer simply the Ducks, however the Mighty Ducks. He received the Cup a yr later, received the Hart Memorial and Rocket Richard trophies in 2010-11, misplaced within the Western Conference Final in 2016-17, and used to be then purchased out by means of Anaheim on the finish of the 2018-19 season.

Since then, Perry has made it to the Stanley Cup Final 4 of the ultimate 5 years, with Dallas, Montreal, Tampa Bay and Edmonton, shedding every time. Compared to ultimate post-season, he has already been extra productive, with seven issues in 10 video games in comparison to 3 in 19 right through Edmonton’s ultimate run to the Cup Final.

Perry has instructed media he’d love to play till he’s 45, and Hunter says he wouldn’t be shocked if his good friend pulls that off. “He’s gonna play until they take his skates away,” the trainer says, with fun. “He will play ‘til his body doesn’t let him anymore or ‘til nobody wants him, and I respect the hell out of it.”

Hunter sees Perry each summer season, since Perry additionally calls London house, however in addition they were given in combination in March because the Knights celebrated the 20-year anniversary in their first Memorial Cup championship with the roster dubbed “the team of the century.” That similar yr, Perry turned into the Knights all-time franchise chief in issues, with 380.

That 2005 Memorial Cup ultimate used to be a showdown towards Rimouski Oceanic, that includes the man who’d be decided on No. 1 within the NHL a couple of weeks later, Sidney Crosby. “I remember Perrs going, ‘I’m just gonna shut him down — I’m going to annoy him and be on top of him and try to make sure he doesn’t get any looks,’” Hunter says. “The way he thought of it when he was 19, he thought of it like he was a coach. There was no selfishness to his game.”

Perry used to be named match MVP.

He has since received each large name in hockey — Olympic gold, the Stanley Cup, international and international junior gold and the World Cup. Now, Perry is 8 wins clear of a moment Stanley Cup.

“He’s one of those guys that we always look for on our team, players that elevate other guys,” Hunter says of what lets in Perry to thrive with any linemates, in any position. “There’s at all times some goal-scorers that want a man to provide them the puck, or they want gamers to pressure the play; he drives the play, he drives a line. You can put him with anyone in point of fact, any more or less ability degree.

“He can make those area plays, he’s really good in transition that way, but then he’s really good down low. He gets pucks back, he can cycle, he can play that game in the O-zone for them.”

In Edmonton’s time beyond regulation victory in Game 2 in their first-round collection towards Las Vegas, it used to be Perry who began the play that ended in the winner. He skated towards the puck because it rimmed across the forums at the wing within the impartial zone, picked it up off his skate, then backhanded a handy guide a rough go to a streaking McDavid, who then discovered Draisaitl, who then discovered the again of the web.

“He came back and he made that little soft play. Nobody really talks about it, but when we watch that goal, it’s a really smart play,” Hunter says. “He’s just so skilled.”

Heading again to the Memorial Cup with the Knights  brings again recollections for Hunter of successful it himself along Perry 20 years in the past. That staff used to be backstopped by means of Adam Dennis, who joined the Knights that yr after taking part in in Guelph, which reminds Hunter of but any other reminiscence of his then-linemate’s distinctive character.

“The year before, we were playing [Dennis] in Guelph — they had a good team — and Perrs would always stand by the net and drink Denny’s water, and it would drive Denny absolutely crazy,” Hunter says, guffawing. “Denny would be yellin’ at the refs, and the refs would be going, ‘Well, there’s really no penalty for that. I don’t know what to tell ya.’” 

Hunter laughs once more, then provides: “There’s really nobody quite like Perrs.”