'Excited to be on this side': Perry ready to embrace new role as mentor to young Hawks like Bedard

Noooooo! You have got to joking!!!

That was my reaction when the Chicago Bulls acquired Dennis Rodman — aka The Worm — from the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 3, 1995.

Not only was Rodman expected to be a massive distraction, but he was thoroughly despised by every self-respecting Bulls fan for the way he abused Michael Jordan and Co. as a member of the Bad Boy Pistons from 1986-93.

No way would this work. He'll ruin everything.

Of course, we all know what transpired — Rodman helped lead the Bulls to three straight NBA championships.

It was interesting to see a similar visceral reaction break out when the Blackhawks traded for Corey Perry last week. Hawks fans have jeered and sneered at the hard-nosed forward almost from the moment he entered the league in 2005. He was a particularly large thorn in their sides during the 2015 Western Conference Finals, scoring 3 goals during a hard-hitting, nasty best-of-seven series.

Now he's going to wear an Indian Head sweater?

“There have been some heated moments, myself against this team,” Perry acknowledged during a news conference at Fifth Third Arena on Friday. “But I'm excited to be on this side and excited to see where this goes.”

Let's be clear: Unlike the Bulls with Rodman, the Hawks are obviously not bringing Perry in to help lead them to a title. They're also not expecting him to be the guy who averaged 36 goals and 34 assists from 2007-16.

Instead, they inked him to a one-year, $4 million deal to serve as a mentor to Connor Bedard, Taylor Raddysh, Philipp Kurashev (assuming he re-signs), and even defensemen like Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic and Isaak Phillips.

“He's a high-end character guy,” said coach Luke Richardson. “He was a captain in the league for a long time and there's a reason for that.”

Richardson saw firsthand what kind of leader Perry was when both were in Montreal during the 2020-21 campaign. Richardson, an assistant coach at the time, talked about the effect Perry had on young players like Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and defenseman Alexander Romanov.

One day at practice, Romanov — just 21 at the time — was floating pucks toward Perry, who was in front of the net trying to tip them in.

“Hey!” Perry instructed. “Shoot the puck!”

“Then (Romanov) ripped one high over the glass,” Richardson recalled, “and (Perry) stopped and went out and said, ‘What are you doing? That's high-sticking. I want it between here and here (chest and knee). And hard.' ...

“Coaches instruct, but when Cup winners and winners like Corey Perry give you direction, that goes a long way.”

Perry watched plenty of World Juniors games last winter and came away impressed with Bedard, whom the Hawks took No. 1 overall in the draft. There will be plenty of bumps in the road for the soon-to-be rookie, however, and Perry is looking forward to smoothing them out when possible.

“This league's not easy,” said Perry, who had 12 goals and 13 assists in 81 games for the Lightning last season. “Coming in at 18 years old, he's gonna have things that he hasn't seen before and playing against men and all these different things. You have to do what you have to do, and that's kind of what's kept me in the league.”

Before deciding to sign with the Hawks, Perry had a 30- to 40-minute phone conversation with Richardson and GM Kyle Davidson. They talked about everything from family to hockey to schooling.

“It was a great pitch,” Perry said, “and I couldn't be more happy.”

As the season unfolds, it will be interesting to see if the worm turns and the fans' feelings toward Perry change.

One thing's for sure, though: His Hawks teammates — even ones like Nick Foligno, who fought Perry during a Canadiens-Maple Leafs playoff game on May 20, 2021 — figure to fall in love with him quickly.

“I've heard he's an unbelievable locker room guy, and I'm looking forward to working with him,” Foligno said. “It just shows the commitment the organization has to bring in the right people to move the needle for this club and insulate some guys that are learning to be pros, but also help the guys that have been there.”

Said fellow newbie Hawks forward Taylor Hall: “I have a ton of respect for what he's done as a player. He can be a thorn in your side if you're playing against him, but he's been so good for so long. ...

“So whether Blackhawks fans have ill memories or not, he'll work. You'll see him on the ice and when you watch him play for your team, you'll be a big fan.”

Corey Perry by the numbers

Career goals: 417

Career assists: 466

Career points: 883

Games played: 1,257

Season-high goals: 50 in 2010-11

Season-high assists: 49 in 2009-10

Season-high points: 98 in 2010-11

Hat tricks: 9 (last on February 28, 2016)

Stanley Cups: 1 (Anaheim in 2007)

<b>Recent stats:</b>• 2022-23: 12 goals, 13 assists in 81 games for Tampa Bay

• 2021-22: 19 goals, 21 assists in 82 games for Tampa Bay

• 2020-21: 9 goals, 12 assists in 49 games for Montreal

Note: Perry was drafted 28th overall by Anaheim in 2003. He played in 988 games for the Ducks from 2005-19