39-year-old Corey Perry drops the gloves for spirited fight against the Detroit Red Wings

At 39 years of age, there's been plenty of criticism over the Edmonton Oilers continuing to play Corey Perry, but early in the year, he's been very solid for the struggling team. With just one goal in 8 games thus far, Perry has been looking for a way to contribute, and now he has found that against Detroit, as he would drop the gloves with Joe Veleno, a player 15 years younger than him.

While neither seemingly came out on top, the battle of the 90s was a fantastic one, with both landing some huge shots during the first period of their Sunday afternoon clash. With the Oilers trailing 1-0, Perry was clearly trying to inspire his team after their up-and-down start to the 2024/25 campaign, and while they've not yet cracked the score sheet, the energy needed to pick up a huge win is certainly there.

Through eight games this season, Edmonton has posted a 3-4-1 record with a 1-1-0 mark away from home, and with some of their top players not quite producing like they are expected to do, this leaves them needing others to step up to the plate. It's unclear if a fight from Corey Perry is exactly what was needed, but it has brought the juice to a team that was starting to slow down after improved play of late, getting them right back into the fight.

At 39 years of age, there's not much gas left in the tank for Perry, but after losing in the Stanley Cup Finals four times over the past five years, it's clear that he's got at least one big season left in him as he looks to get the Oilers back to the Finals this season.