The veteran of more than 1,400 NHL games and 965 points has scored 13 goals and 30 points over 53 games this season, his 21st in the league.
Lightning fans also got to see the physical forward fight on Sunday, his second game back with the franchise.
“He’s been great for us so far. Just his demeanor on the bench, his play on the ice,” coach Jon Cooper said. “He’s got a knack for the net. You put him around there, usually he’s gonna tap it in. It’s been good for him.”
Perry saw time on the team’s second power-play unit in Tuesday’s game against Columbus. As Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said, the locker room has already been ignited by Perry’s addition.
“It’s amazing,” forward Zemgus Girgensons said of becoming teammates with Perry. “He’s an amazing player, a great guy. It’s nice to get to know him, and he brings a lot to our team. Good addition.”
Longtime Bolt Brayden Point was here for Perry’s first stint with the team. He applauded the move to bring back a player who can score while also elevating the compete level of every teammate he meets.
“He adds some offense for sure. You’ve seen already he’s got two goals here with us, and just that leadership,” Point said of what Perry brings to the team. “He’s obviously played a ton of games and been in some big moments. He’s gonna be a guy we need to lean on in the future.”
Perry played in the previous two Stanley Cup Finals as a member of the Edmonton Oilers and has reached the Cup Final six times. He won the penultimate NHL award in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks.
And yet, his hunger hasn’t faded.
Even in year 21, his sole goal is to win the Stanley Cup as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I don’t know any different than having that passion and wanting to win,” Perry said. “That’s why you grow up as a kid is having that chance and being a part of something. That’s what it’s all about.”