David Perron

Lore & Background

Growing up in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Perron played his junior hockey for the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League where he led them to the 2006 President's Cup. As a result of his play, Perron was drafted in the first round, 26th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL entry draft. He began his professional career with the Blues organization before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2013. His short stint in Edmonton was met with a myriad of injuries which also prohibited him from participating in the 2014 IIHF World Championship.

After two years with the Oilers, Perron was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks before returning to St. Louis in 2016. He was left unprotected by the team for the 2017 NHL expansion draft and was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights for their inaugural season. Perron had a career-high season with the Golden Knights and returned to St. Louis for the third time where he won the Stanley Cup in 2019. He initially joined Detroit in 2022, the first free agent contract of his career not signed with St. Louis; he then signed with the Ottawa Senators two seasons later, before being traded back to Detroit in 2026.

Reader's Guide

Perron was selected in the first round, 26th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL entry draft. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team on September 5, 2007. He made his NHL debut during the 2007–08 season, becoming the fifth youngest skater in Blues history at 19 years, 137 days old. On November 3, 2007, Perron scored his first career NHL goal during a 3–2 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks.

He finished his rookie season with 13 goals and 27 points in 62 games and was named to the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game. In the 2008–09 season, he recorded a team-leading 24 assists by January and earned a spot on the sophomore team at the NHL YoungStars Game. He concluded his sophomore campaign placing third on the team in scoring. In the 2009–10 season, he scored his first NHL regular season hat trick on November 10, 2009, in a 6–1 win over the Canucks, and concluded his third season with a then-career high 20 goals in 82 games.

During the summer of 2010, Perron signed a two-year contract worth $4.3 million to stay with the Blues. He began his fourth year campaign with a scoring streak of five goals in his first ten games before sustaining a season-ending concussion on November 4, 2010, from an elbow to the temple from San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton. He missed 13 months to recover. Upon returning to the Blues' lineup in December 2011, he finished the regular season recording 42 points in 57 games.

In the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Blues beat the San Jose Sharks in five games, with Perron scoring the series-winning goal. After losing to the Los Angeles Kings, Perron signed a four-year, $15.25 million contract extension with the Blues. In his final season with the team, he only recorded 10 goals in 48 games.