Outgoing Red Wing David Perron expresses gratitude for his time in Detroit, while looking forward to joining an old friend and a former bitter rival with the Senators
At his virtual introductory press conference, outgoing Red Wing David Perron explained that familiarity helped to draw him to his new home with the Ottawa Senators. "It felt like a similar role that I would have joining the Sens to what I had the previous two years with the Wings," Perron told the media.
Feb 27, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Red Wings left wing David Perron (57) shoots on Ottawa Senators goalie Cam Talbot (33) in the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre
© Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Though he expressed pleasure at rekindling his role as the veteran presence on a rebuilding team trending upward, he did note that he believes reduced ice time and a move from the flank to the net front on the power play to start the season contributed to his decline from 56 points in '22-23 to 47 in '22-23.
On social media, Perron thanked the Red Wings for the time he spent in Detroit, saying, "I really enjoyed getting to know Michigan from Traverse City to Grand Rapids to Detroit and many little cities in between! You made my family feel at home instantly! Thank you to the organization and very special staff members and my teammates who I enjoyed going to work with every single day! I hope I had a little part in the success coming to the organization in the coming years."
At that press conference, Perron also mentioned that "it's going to be special" to reconnect with Brady Tkachuk in Ottawa, having met the Senators captain before he turned 10 years old while playing with Brady's father Keith (better known in hockey circles as "Big Walt") in St. Louis. Perron noted that Brady then was the exact age of his own son Mason, making for "a full circle thing" in the move to St. Louis, while appreciating the elder Tkachuk's mentorship as his own career was taking flight.
There will, however, be one awkward conversation in Perron's future, after his check to the head of Sens D Artem Zub in the scrum following Dylan Larkin's injury against Ottawa in December.
In an interview with TSN 1200, Perron noted that he owes Zub "a couple of dinners" for his trouble, while adding “In my heart I know that I wasn’t trying to go that high [on Zub]. I just saw my captain on the ground and it was tough. You’re trying to create an identity where everyone sticks up for each other.”
So whether in reuniting with an old friend or massaging relations with a rival-turned-teammate, Perron is looking forward to the next chapter of his career in Ottawa.
