- Corey Perry is back with the Kings for a 22nd NHL season at 41
- His 9-year-old son Griffin is a big part of why he keeps going
- Read below for Perry’s full comments and where Los Angeles stands
Corey Perry is heading into a 22nd NHL season, and the hockey is only half of it.
Perry told Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com at a charity golf event in Brampton, Ontario, that his 9-year-old son Griffin has become a big reason he keeps showing up.
He was asked how he feels physically at 41.
“I feel great,” Perry said. “I’m still having fun and still feel young. And he’s a big part of that.”
The Kings brought him back on a one-year, $1 million deal on July 1, part of a veteran-heavy opening day for general manager Ken Holland.
By the time Griffin was born in 2017, his dad had already won most of what there is to win. A Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007, Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, a World Cup in 2016, and both the Hart Trophy and the Rocket Richard in 2011.
These days the two are rarely apart. Griffin stood beside his dad at the podium during 2025 Stanley Cup Final media day, and he tags along to the charity golf tournaments every summer.
His son doubles as a news feed during the year.
“(Griffin) keeps me up to date on what goes on in the League,” Perry said. “He’s telling me what’s going on and all the scores from the night before during the season. This is what it’s all about: sharing memories. It helps motivate you when you’re doing all those offseason workouts. It helps keep you hungry.”
Last season Perry put up 28 points in 50 games for the Kings before Los Angeles shipped him to Tampa Bay on March 6 for a 2028 second-round pick. He added nine points in 22 games with the Lightning and went scoreless in a seven-game first-round loss to Montreal.
Coming back was an easy call. He spent the first 14 years of his career in Anaheim, and Griffin already has a friend in Drew Doughty, who skates with Perry in London, Ontario, over the summer.
“We just loved it out there,” Perry said. “The family loves LA.”
Los Angeles went 35-27-20 last season, took the West’s second wild card out of fourth in the Pacific, then got bounced in four games by Colorado. Holland hired Peter Laviolette on June 9 and added Mats Zuccarello and Erik Haula three weeks later.
That group has Perry sold.
“I’m stoked to come back,” he said. “We made some big moves and hopefully it’ll lead to more success.”
Another 35 goals would put him at 500 for his career. He is at 972 points (465 goals, 507 assists) through 1,464 games, and Griffin would have a good seat for that one.
“It’s really special to have him along for the ride,” Perry said. “I’m still enjoying it all.”
