(Denver, CO) Let’s give Pierre-Édouard Bellemare his due; he has the gift of expressing his ideas clearly. Take his answer on Corey Perry.
Posted at 10:17 p.m.
“He is one of the players who gave me difficulty. He’s a player who pisses you off, he’s always on your goalkeeper, he always finds a way to fall on your goalkeeper. »
That was before this season. After years of playing against each other, Bellemare and Perry are now teaming up with the Lightning, often playing as part of the same line. Which inevitably changed Bellemare’s perception of number 10…
“I didn’t like him, but I didn’t know him in a locker room. He is respectful, he pushes the players to give their best. His presence commands respect, but there are also the things he says. Whether you’re the best player or the worst, he encourages you the same way and that’s wonderful. »
Perry finds himself in the finals for the third year in a row, in a third different uniform. Last year, he was with the Canadiens. The year before, with the Stars. “Everything is in everything”, would have written Voltaire in an early version of Zadigand good old François-Marie was certainly thinking of Perry, who lost two years in a row in the final against the Lightning, and who is now playing this final with the lightning bolt jersey.
“It’s weird. From the redemption of my contract in Anaheim, to the season in Dallas, the one in Montreal and now here, it has been special, but also pleasant. I hope the third time will be the right one, ”he summed up on Tuesday during media day at the Ball Arena.
Perry is the second player in history to play three straight finals for three different teams. The first ? Marian Hossa, with Pittsburgh in 2008, Detroit in 2009 and Chicago in 2010. After defeats the first two times, the Slovak ended up triumphing with the Blackhawks.
Perry is certainly not productive like the Hossa of 12 years ago. He has 40 points this season, and has 8 in 17 playoff games. Jokingly, you could say he simply has a flair for guessing, nine months in advance, which team can go all the way.
“You mainly look at where you are going to fit best,” he retorted, uncomfortable when asked about his skills as an evaluator. Later, he would add that the fact that the Lightning offered him a two-year contract tipped the scales when he was out of contract last summer.
But there are no coincidences in life. Last year in Montreal, players and coaches constantly praised his ascendancy, especially in the comeback of the Canadiens against the Maple Leafs in the first round. Perry had been among those who had risen to rally the troops.
“He was a very important resource in the locker room for the other veterans, but for our young people too, underlined Julien BriseBois, GM of the Lightning. He was a mentor for young people. For our coaches, he was also a resource person to discuss strategies. He did the same with me. I enjoyed my discussions with him. He has a lot of experience and he is a winner. »
Almost a record
Sure enough, Perry is a winner. Just look at all the drawings on his Elite-Prospects sheet. Imagine the pleasure Marie Kondo would have in organizing her trophy cabinet.
That said, Perry has only one Stanley Cup ring, and he won it in 2007, 15 years ago. In the history of the NHL, only one player has waited longer between two coronations: Chris Chelios, titled with Montreal in 1986 and with Detroit in 2002.
At the Avalanche, Darren Helm finds himself practically in the same situation as Perry. This support player lifted the big trophy in his very first NHL season, in 2008. He reached the final the following year, in a losing cause, and is back in the final for the first time since.
We can guess that the 22-year-old Darren Helm, who made it to the final on his first two occasions, did not expect to wait so long before returning.
“I certainly knew how big it was, but maybe I didn’t understand how hard it was to go back there, admitted the athlete who is now 35 years old. After 14 years without having had this chance, I now know a little more what kind of challenge it represents and how hard you have to work to get there. »