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Corey Perry is returning to the Lightning.
On Friday, March 6, the Tampa Bay Lightning confirmed that NHL veteran Corey Perry will be returning to the team following a trade with the Los Angeles Kings.
“We have acquired forward Corey Perry from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Tampa Bay’s second-round pick in 2028,” read a message on the official Tampa Bay Lightning Facebook page.
Perry, 40, has played in 50 games with the Kings so far this season. He has 11 goals and 28 points. He won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2006–07 and has appeared in 237 career playoff games, the third-most in NHL history. Over those postseason appearances, he has recorded 64 goals and 141 points, including 12 game-winning goals.
A four-time NHL All-Star, Perry had the best season of his career in 2010–11, when he scored 50 goals and 98 points with the Ducks, earning both the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer and the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player.
How Do Tampa Bay Fans Feel About Corey Perry’s Return?
Perry previously spent two seasons with the Bolts from 2021–23, recording 31 goals and 65 points in 163 games, including 12 power-play goals. He was part of the 2022 team, making it to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Colorado Avalanche. Perry left Tampa as a free agent, joining the Chicago Blackhawks and then playing in Edmonton, before going to LA.
After the Lightning confirmed that Perry is coming back, Bolts fans expressed their feelings on the deal on social media.
“Honestly a great move, awesome locker room guy, cup hungry veteran player ready to break that curse and a 2nd round pick likely late enough to essentially be a 3rd round pick isn’t even bad. I like it, adds grit and net front scoring ability,” one comment read.
“He’s a good presence on the bench and knows how to make it far in the playoffs. I still think the price is steep. Should of been a 4th rounder unless the kings retain his cap,” someone else said.
“There go the Stanley cup hopes,” a third Facebook user wrote.
“No not the Perry curse… this was going to be our season,” a fourth person added.
What Is the Corey Perry Curse?
As many longtime hockey fans know, Perry has been associated with a longtime Stanley Cup curse. Aside from the fact that Perry has never hoisted the Cup over the course of his career, he’s been a part of a few teams who have made it to the Stanley Cup Final and then lost.
Aside from this happening when he previously played for Tampa Bay, Perry also lost the Cup when the Oilers played the Panthers in 2025. Additionally, he lost with the Dallas Stars in 2020 and again with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021.
Bolts Nation may welcome Perry back with open arms—the team could definitely use a grinder—but many hope that he’s able to break the curse if the team finds itself in the playoffs once more.
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