In his enthusiasm for what lies ahead, Perry took time out to reflect on his days in Edmonton, where he helped the Oilers make back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances only to lose to the Florida Panthers on both occasions.

Perry quickly became a favorite with both his Oilers teammates and a rabid Edmonton fan base that appreciated the sandpaper in his game. All the while, his 7-year-old son, Griffin, was enjoying playing in one of the top minor hockey systems in North America.

That, he said, is among the reasons why saying goodbye to the Alberta capital is hard.

“It was sad and tough to leave Edmonton,” Perry said. “We had a good things going there, especially with the family, my teammates, my little guy’s hockey, his hockey team, his hockey buddies.

“That’s hard to leave, sure, but we’re looking forward to making some new great memories in Los Angeles.”

Last season, Perry showed the hockey world he has plenty left in the tank, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he scored 10 goals in 22 games. It proved to be more than enough to impress former Oilers general manager Ken Holland, who is now in the same role with the Kings.

“Come free agency July 1, it came about pretty quick,” Perry said. “Kenny signed me in Edmonton, so he reached out immediately.

“We played the Kings in the first round the past two years when I was in Edmonton. And while we won both of those series, LA was a great hockey team. Those series could have gone either way. We found a way to beat them in the end, but you could see what they have. And the moves Kenny has subsequently made and the players he’s brought in has helped the team — good acquisitions, good depth.”

Perry was among a flurry of free agent signings made by the Kings earlier this month, additions that also included forward Joel Armia, defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, and goaltender Anton Forsberg.

Will those moves be enough to help Perry reach the Stanley Cup Final again, this time with the Kings? He has, after all, been there five times in the past six seasons, each one ending in defeat.

“All I know is that I like the way the team is constructed,” he said. “They’ve always been hard to play against.

“Like I said, it will feel weird at first. For the early parts of my career, I had a rivalry with the Kings fans and the players. Now I’m one of them.

“I welcome the new challenge. It’s going to be fun.”