Corey Perry will forever be a Sharks nemesis, but he's no longer in the same division as San Jose.
The Anaheim Ducks bought out Perry's contract on Wednesday. Perry spent 14 seasons as a Duck, where the winger was a two-time All-Star and winner of the 2010-11 Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's MVP.
"This is one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in my 44 years in the NHL," Ducks executive vice president and general manager Bob Murray said in a team statement. "Corey gave everything to this franchise for 14 years, never giving an inch to his competitors. While his scoring touch is undeniable, his will to win became his greatest attribute."
Perry and the Sharks have quite the history. Last year in the first round of the 2018 playoffs, he put a dirty hit on Sharks winger Melker Karlsson that caused a big buzz.
Corey Perry with the dirty hit on Melker
💻 https://t.co/G2Yue5iAJx pic.twitter.com/65MI4HCpH3— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) April 15, 2018
Ever since Perry made his NHL debut in 2003, there's been bad blood between him and the Sharks. Perry has more penalties in minutes against San Jose than any other team for his career, according to Hockey Reference. In his 14-year career, he also has more goals, points, and assists against the Sharks than all but one team -- the Coyotes.
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Perry played in career-low 31 games after undergoing knee surgeries before this past season. He only scored 10 points -- six goals and four assists -- as he turned 34 years old in May.
If Perry does play in the 2019-2020 season, he'll certainly still be on the Sharks' radar.
