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TORONTO – Corey Perry arrived bleary eyed to Scotiabank Arena after a long travel day.
The veteran forward had agreed to a trade hours earlier that sent him from the Los Angeles Kings back to a franchise he knows well in hopes of chasing that elusive second Stanley Cup ring.
Perry then went out and made an immediate impact with his new — and old — team on the way to victory.
The 40-year-old scored as part of first-period explosion Saturday as Tampa Bay blew past the fading Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2.
Acquired for a second-round pick at the 2028 NHL draft just ahead of the league’s Friday trade deadline, Perry spent two seasons with the Lightning from 2021 to 2023, including the club’s march to the 2022 final.
“A little hectic, a little crazy,” Perry, who arrived in Toronto at 4 a.m. and didn’t clear customs for another 90 minutes, said following the morning skate. “I’m excited to be here and see where this can go.”
The Peterborough, Ont., product had 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 50 games with the Kings after suffering a knee injury that required surgery right before training camp.
Perry, who won the Cup with Anaheim in 2007, has made the final five of the last six seasons, but finished on the losing end in each title series with the Dallas Stars (2021), Montreal Canadiens (2021), Lightning and Edmonton Oilers (2024 and 2025).
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“He’s a catalyst,” Tampa head coach Jon Cooper said. “He transcends time. It’s amazing what he can do. I don’t expect him to go in there and play 20 minutes a night, but I do feel we’re a better team.
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“It’s much more than the stuff he does on the ice. It’s on the bench. He sees things, he says things, and you’re just always like, ‘Huh? I wish I would have thought of that.’”
Perry rejoined an organization that topped both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings with 82 points heading into Sunday’s matchup in Buffalo against the second-place Sabres.
“It’s kind of like I never left,” he said. “A lot of old faces, some new faces, but it’s still hockey. It’s still the same things. You just go out and you play.”
Perry had a no-movement clause in his contract with the Kings, and wrestled with the decision to stay or go before deciding Tampa was the right call.
“Had a bunch of discussions (with) my wife,” he said. “You have a chance to win a Stanley Cup and come to a great team and great Cup contender, that’s what the end goal is.”
Cooper was asked how Perry — a former Hart Trophy winner as league MVP — has managed to stay relevant in a sport that continues to get younger.
“There’s an art to it,” said the coach. “Players get away with it between 19 and 28, 29 … they feel untouchable. But if you want to really have longevity and extend your career, there’s a lot that goes into it. He’s constantly stretching, he’s constantly just doing things that look after himself.
“He’s just built the right way.”
BOO BIRDS
The Maple Leafs suffered a seventh straight defeat (0-5-2) coming off the Olympic break to continue a disastrous stretch that’s seen their hopes of a 10th straight trip to the playoffs all but dashed.
The club was booed by the fans still inside an quickly emptying rink as the clock ticked down Saturday.
“People are going to be frustrated and they’re spending their hard-earned money to come watch us play,” Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz said. “We gotta find a way to crawl out of this, and just put together a complete 60 minutes.”
So why has it been so difficult to find that total effort on so many nights?
“We’ve beaten some really good teams this year,” Stolarz added. “It’s definitely frustrating. That’s something that’s gonna have to come from within the room here.
“We’ve got 18 games left and no one’s feeling sorry for us.”
ATLANTIC STRUGGLES
Similar to Toronto, the back-to-back Cup-winning Florida Panthers are also trending toward their first missed post-season since 2019.
Cooper was quizzed about what he’s seen from a pair of former division heavyweights this campaign.
“I’ve gone through what the Panthers have gone through,” he said. “Going to three straight finals, it’s trying, it’s tough. But we were fortunate to continue making the playoffs. They had some massive injuries … their run has been pretty special.”
Cooper also hinted the loss of star winger Mitch Marner has played a significant role in Toronto’s struggles.
“They don’t have the fruits of their labour like the way Florida does,” he said of a franchise with just two series wins since 2004. “It’s probably tougher to swallow for the Leafs in a way, but when there’s roster change, it can affect things.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
