Perron Says Daughter’s Health Woes ‘More in Control’

Former Detroit Red Wings player David Perron was back in the Ottawa Senators lineup Saturday night after missing 11 games to deal with scary medical issues with his unborn daughter Elizabeth.

Perron left the Senators Oct. 21, and six days later his wife Vanessa gave birth to Elizabeth. On Oct. 5, Vanessa had revealed that a mass had been discovered on her daughter’s right lung while she was in the womb. Doctors did procedures in vitro and after she was born to deal with the situation.

“We’re not fully, fully out of the woods, but we’re getting there,” Perron told NHL.com’s Callum Fraser.

Perron, 36, signed with the Senators in the offseason after he couldn’t reach an agreement with the Red Wings. The  Senators were willing to give him a two-year deal worth an average of $4 million per season. In his two seasons with Detroit, he had season totals of 24 goals (2022-23) and 17 (2023-24).

While he may have lost a step, the Red Wings tried to keep him because he still had good offensive instincts and his leadership skill was off the chart. He was a member of Dylan Larkin‘s inner-circle. Perron, who won a Stanley Cup with St. Louis, was a positive force when the Red Wings were scrapping for a playoff spot late last season.

Missing Perron Leadership

Derek Lalonde has repeated the story of Perron telling him the team still had a shot last season when the Red Wings were well back. Perron is always popular with this teammates because of his ability to stay positive.  With the offensive struggles the Red Wings have had this season, the Detroit players undoubtedly miss him.

But hockey has been secondary for the Perron family this season because of Elizabeth’s health problems.

“They’re still kind of doing some tests,” Perron told NHL.com. “There (were) some couple crazy moments that maybe you think they’re going to have to take the whole lung out, you don’t know. You start wondering, ‘What’s that life going to be like?’ In August, especially, when we found out, we had an emergency and (had to) go to Toronto. The mass was pushing so much on the left side of the chest that the heart was maybe going to have a heart attack or something.”

Shaking off rust, Perron played 12 minutes in a 4-0 loss to Carolina Saturday. He had two shots on goal on the night.

The important aspect of Saturday Perron was comfortable enough with Elizabeth’s condition to return to playing.

“Now it seems like it’s more under control,” He said.