Purcell moved to the United States to study at and play hockey for Lake Forest Academy, a prep school north of Chicago.

On July 6, 2010, new Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman re-signed Purcell (along with another former University of Maine player, Mike Lundin) to a one-year contract.

[3] On April 7, 2012, in the Lightning's last game of the 2011–12 regular season, Purcell recorded his second career NHL hat trick, helping Tampa Bay win 4–3 in overtime.

[5] In his second season with the Oilers in 2015–16, with the club out of contention for the Stanley Cup playoffs and in the last year of his contract, after scoring 32 points in 61 games, on February 27, 2016, Purcell was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

[6] On July 1, 2016, Purcell as a free agent opted to return to his original club, the Los Angeles Kings, signing a one-year, $1.6 million contract.

As a free agent from the Kings, and going unsigned over the summer, on September 14, 2017, it was announced Purcell had joined the Boston Bruins on a professional try-out (PTO) contract to attend training camp.