Corey Perry’s 30-point (19 goals, 11 assists) regular season after 81 games was nothing to write home about. However, that changed when the playoffs rolled around. The 40-year-old NHL veteran came out guns blazing for the Oilers during the playoffs, scoring 10 goals and 4 assists in 22 postseason games. Despite the performance, the veteran winger’s age meant he would follow Evander Kane out of the Oilers camp.

And that’s exactly what happened, as the Edmonton Oilers’ regular Stanley Cup Playoff rivals, the LA Kings, picked up Perry for a 1-year, $3.5 million contract. It was a surprise, considering Perry’s history with the Kings’ fans, who always found the veteran winger on the opposing team. Maybe that’s why the 40-year-old said, “I’m just going to let my play speak and go from there,” as per The Athletic. Yet, winning over the fans took a backseat in the wake of the announcement.

Rather, the NHL fan base almost unanimously made a 2026 proclamation, with Corey Perry’s rough Stanley Cup history in mind. You see, the last time the NHL forward won a Stanley Cup, he played for the Kings’ arch-rivals, the Anaheim Ducks. Unfortunately, he never won another despite playing not one, not two, but five finals. So it’s no wonder fans saw it as a bad sign for the Kings.

“Corey Perry, tired of losing in the Stanley Cup Final every year, signs with the team that loses to the team that loses in the Stanley Cup Final every year,” commented one LA Kings fan. And it’s difficult to blame them. After all, the former Hart Memorial Trophy winner has lost the Stanley Cup finals with three different teams. Perry lost with the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and, of course, the Oilers.

Hockey fans had a grim prediction for Corey Perry

“I’m locking in my bets now! Kings will lose in the Stanley Cup Finals,” one fan commented without a hint of hesitation. Others followed suit. “We know who WON’T win the Stanley Cup next year,” commented another. With Perry losing in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, the fans believe he’ll carry the Stanley Cup drought curse all the way to Crypto.com Arena.

Then again, Perry wasn’t the only NHL player the Kings picked up on the first day of free agency. In fact, they picked up five veteran players, including Corey Perry. Joel Armia (32) joined for a 2-year, $2.5 million AAV contract. Cody Ceci (31) signed a 4-year, $4.5 million contract, while fellow defenseman Brian Dumoulin (33) pledged 3 years for $4 million annually.

Goalie Anton Forsberg (32) continued the short contract trend with a 2-year, $2.5 million contract. That being said, some fans were a little subtle in their disapproval. “Corey Perry, after making the Kings 2026 Western Conference Champions…” commented one hockey fan, adding a GIF of a man raising a toast with “tradition” written in closed captions. Who knows? Maybe Corey Perry will need something extraordinary to win over the fans in LA.

“Oh, fantastic. The guy who was the face of the rival Anaheim Ducks for a decade is now an LA King. I’m sure fans will welcome him with open arms and have absolutely no conflicting feelings about this,” commented one fan who seemed quite disgruntled with the Kings. Then again, Perry did just help the Oilers hand the Kings a historic defeat. Does that mean Corey Perry will back down from trying to win hearts in LA? Not a chance.

“Obviously, I’ve had many battles against L.A. The fans were passionate and hard. It’s exciting when you see that. Now I got to get them on my side and hopefully we can do that early,” said the NHL star. Now, the question is: How successful will Corey Perry be in his plan?