Corey Perry Rejoins Lightning Seeking Elusive Stanley Cup

Veteran forward hopes to help Tampa Bay return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2022.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 4:08pm

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have reacquired veteran forward Corey Perry at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, reuniting him with the team he played for from 2021-2023. Perry, who is seeking his second career Stanley Cup title, is a proven playoff performer and is familiar with many of his Lightning teammates, which should help him quickly integrate back into the lineup. The Lightning are hoping Perry's experience and skill can help them return to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2022, when they fell to the Colorado Avalanche.

Why it matters

Perry has been to the Stanley Cup Final six times in his career, but has only won it once, with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He's been on the losing end in five of the last six Finals appearances, including twice with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021. The Lightning are hoping Perry's veteran presence and playoff pedigree can help them finally get over the hump and win their third Stanley Cup championship.

The details

The Lightning acquired Perry from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2028 second-round draft pick. Perry scored 13 goals and recorded 18 assists in 55 games split between the Kings and Lightning this season. He made an immediate impact, scoring in his Lightning debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Perry is reunited with several of his former Lightning teammates, including Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brayden Point, Ryan McDonagh, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli, which should help him quickly get up to speed with the team's systems and chemistry.

  • The Lightning acquired Perry at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline on March 6.
  • Perry scored in his Lightning debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The players

Corey Perry

A veteran forward who has played in six Stanley Cup Finals, winning one championship with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. He is seeking his second career Stanley Cup title.

Tampa Bay Lightning

An NHL team that has won two Stanley Cup championships (2020, 2021) and is seeking to return to the Finals for the first time since 2022.

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What they’re saying

“At the end of the day, we have a chance to win a Stanley Cup here. That's the goal. They have a pretty good team. When you win 20 of 22 or whatever it was, you have a pretty good team. I'm just here to help any way I can. It's exciting.”

— Corey Perry

What’s next

The Lightning will look to integrate Perry into their lineup and make a deep playoff run, with the goal of finally returning to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2022.

The takeaway

Corey Perry's addition to the Lightning roster gives the team a proven playoff performer with extensive Stanley Cup Final experience, which could be the missing piece to help Tampa Bay finally break through and win their third championship.