Carey Price

At 37 years old, Carey Price has this physical status:

Carey Price (born August 16, 1987) is a professional ice hockey goaltender who plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. (NHL)

Many colleagues, followers, The Hockey News, and EA Sports all agree that he is one of the best goaltenders in the history of the Montreal Canadiens; and one of the world's best goaltenders, as well as many journalists, followers, and EA Sports; and one of the top goaltenders in the Montreal Canadiens by many journalists. Price was drafted fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft following his second season with the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League in 2002.

In his last season of major junior in 2007, he earned both the Del Wilson Trophy and CHL Goaltender of the Year in two seasons.

Price led the Bulldogs to the Calder Cup championship after winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the tournament MVP, joining the Canadiens' farm team, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Price served on the Canadiens roster from 2007–08 as the back-up goaltender before eventually becoming the starting goaltender later this season.

Price was the first goaltender to win all four individual awards in the same season in 2015, winning silver medals at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2004 and the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2005.

He earned a gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden.

Price was named to the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team in 2014 and earned a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) directorate also lauded Price's performance for the tournament's top goaltending award, as well as the tournament's top goaltending trophy.

Price went undefeated to win his first World Cup of Hockey title in 2016.

Early life

Carey Price was born in Vancouver to Lynda and Jerry Price. His mother is the head of the Ulkatcho First Nation. In the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft, his father was both a goaltender and drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers126th overall. Despite the fact that Jerry never played in the NHL, he did play four seasons of professional hockey in various leagues and was the goaltending coach of the Tri-City Americans for a time. Price has a younger sister, Kayla, and he is second cousins with former professional ice hockey player Shane Doan.

When Price was three, his family and his family moved to Anahim Lake, a remote area in central British Columbia, where he was raised. He was taught by his father on a frozen lake in the winter months and played organized hockey in Williams Lake over five hours and 320 miles (200 miles) away by highway 20. Carey's dad eventually purchased a Piper PA-28 Cherokee to fly him to practice and games after he had to make the ten-hour round trip three days a week.

Personal life

Price, who is a descendant of the Ulkatcho First Nation, was named honorary co-chair at the 2010 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, which were held in Ottawa, Ontario, in May 2010. The Nuxalk and Southern Carrier Aboriginal heritage of which he is proud to be a member is worth very proud.

While playing with the Tri-City Americans, Price met Angela (née Webber). Angela said in an interview that the couple were set up on a blind date by her friend, who was dating Carey's roommate at the time. During the off-season, they live in Kelowna, British Columbia. They were married in Benton City, Washington, near Angela's hometown of Kennewick, on August 24, 2013. Price flocked to Calgary for Hockey Canada's Olympic orientation camp for the 2014 Winter Olympics the next day. Angela Price revealed on her blog that they were expecting their first child the following year. Angela gave birth to Liv, the couple's first child, in 2016. Angela gave birth to Millie, their second child, in December 2018. Angela and the family revealed in June 2020 that they were expecting their third child in the fall. Angela gave birth to their third child, a boy named Lincoln, in October 2020.

In an exclusive interview with Arpon Basu on The Athletic's Best 100 Players in Modern NHL history, Price talked about his experience a year before he was accepted to the NHLPA Player Assistance Program in October 2022. Following Price's loss in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals and the complications surrounding his knee surgery, it was revealed that he suffered with alcoholism, which began as an escape from the pressures of being a professional athlete, but it was later escalated. Price made the decision to enter a residential rehabilitation center despite citing the severity of heroin use within the Indigenous community and thoughts of his own mental health. Price hopes that his willingness to share his experience as an example and encourages others that "it's OK to request help."

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Playing career

During the 2002-2003 season, Price made his first appearance in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in a single game for the Tri-City Americans. He rejoined the Tri-City roster in 1998, appearing in 28 games as the back-up for Colorado Avalanche prospect Tyler Weiman, who had a 2.38 goals against average (GAA) and a 0.915 save percentage. Price took over as the team's primary starter and established himself as a top goaltender in a league-high 63 games with a 2.34 GAA and 8.920 save percentage and eight shutouts, putting them in the top ten this season. Price was drafted fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens, a surprise to many who expected that Price would not be drafted until the middle of the first round.

Price's playing in Tri-City suffered greatly during the 2005–06 season, with a 2.87 GAA and a.906 save percentage after playing 55 games. Price returned to action in 2006-07 with a high 2.45 GAA and.917 save percentage while winning both the Del Wilson Trophy and the CHL Goaltender of the Year award. Despite this, the Americans were disqualified in six games during the 2007 playoffs.

Price joined the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens farm team, right after Tri-City's early playoff departure, just before the 2007 Calder Cup playoffs began. Price allowed only three goals and won one game in two straight seasons with the Bulldogs. As the team claimed their first Calder Cup, Price led the Bulldogs on a remarkable season this spring, defeating the Hershey Bears four games to one in the finals. Price was the third teenager to win the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the AHL's top goaltender, with a 2.06 GAA and a 936% save percentage.

In a 3–2 win, Price made his highly awaited Canadiens debut on October 10, 2007, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he made 26 saves. After the first month of the season, he was awarded the Canadiens' Molson Cup for October, which was given to the player with the most first-time picks. Despite being recalled to the Hamilton Bulldogs midway through the season in January, he was called back to the Hamilton Bulldogs just over a month later. Price assumed the Canadiens's starting point, with the trading of starting goaltender Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals before the trading deadline. As the Canadiens finished first overall in the Eastern Conference and captured their first division title since 1991–92, he was later named Rookie of the Month for March and the NHL First Star of the Week for Week (April 6, 2008). Price led all rookie goaltenders in victories (24), save percentage (.920) and shutouts (3) during the regular season. In recognition for his play in his first year in the NHL, he was selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

Price defeated the Boston Bruins 1–0 on April 15, 2008, becoming the first Canadiens rookie to post a playoff shutout since Patrick Roy in 1986. In game seven, he would score another shutout to beat Boston. Montreal lost in the second round to the Philadelphia Flyers, with Price losing three out of the last four games in a row.

Price got off to a promising start to the 2008–09 season, winning his second Molson Cup in November, on December 30, 2008. After being forced out of action for nearly a month (along with teammates Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Markov, and Mike Komisarek) in Montreal, he returned to action on January 20, 2009, after backup Jaroslav Halák was dismantled in a 4–2 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers. The Canadiens, who were ranked eighth and final seed in the first round of the 2009 playoffs, met the Boston Bruins in the first round for the second time in a row. They were swept in four games, with the Bruins scoring at least four times in each game. Price conceded four goals in two minutes in the last game at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The audience applauded a poor dump-in, but Price responded by putting his arms up in the air, a similar gesture to Patrick Roy's gesture on December 2, 1995, when Roy demanded a trade from the Canadiens.

As the Canadiens moved to Halák as the eighth and final seed in the playoffs, Price struggled through the 2009-10 season, winning only 13 games and losing the starting job to Halák. Despite the fact that the Canadiens made a surprise appearance in the Eastern Conference final, defeating both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins along the way, Price appeared in only four games, losing one and getting no decision in any of the others, with one getting no decision in any of the others. In a 5–1 victory over the Boston Bruins in the Canadiens' 100th anniversary game, Price was stopping 37 of 38 shots, the lowest point being giving up four goals in his first game of the season. Both Price and Halák were banned free agents in Montreal in the 2010 off-season, and a goaltending debate erupted in Montreal over whether or not the team's hero Halák would remain with the team. After weeks of media rumors, the Canadiens settled Price, trading Halák to the St. Louis Blues, and re-signing Price to a two-year, $5.5 million contract to return to his position as starting goaltender.

Price's 2010-11 pre-season was off to a rocky start. Price played in 72 games during his career, with 38 victories, eight shutouts, and a.923 save percentage, and was selected to play in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game. The Canadiens were able to qualify for the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs thanks to Price's play. Price in the playoffs continued to perform well, with a.935 save percentage. However, the Canadiens did not win the first round, losing in seven games to the Boston Bruins. In his 214th game, Price won his 100th game in his NHL career. He appeared in his third All-Star Game a few months later. The 2011–12 season, on the other hand, was not fruitful for the Canadiens, who lost the playoffs for the first time since the 2006–07 season. Price has missed the last four games of the season due to a concussion.

Price re-signed with the Canadiens on a six-year deal worth US$39 million on July 2, 2012.

Price started the year off with a bang in 2012–13, winning 18 of his first 28 starts as the Canadiens, in stark contrast to the previous season, winning 28 of his first 28 games as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, going 29–14–5, good enough for second place in the conference. In the final weeks of the season, Price's play fell off, going 2–6 and allowing 27 goals. Nonetheless, the Canadiens went to the playoffs against the seventh seeded Ottawa Senators. Price suffered a groin injury and did not return for the overtime period, and was replaced by Peter Budaj; the Senators will go on to score and win the game in Game 4 with the score tied 2–2 as the third period came to an end. Price's injury dogged him for the remainder of the series, and the Canadiens were eliminated in five games. Price dropped the playoffs with a sub-par 3.26 GAA and a.894 save percentage.

Price returned to form in 2013-2014, winning 34 games to go along with a career-best 2.32 GAA and.927 save percentage, leading the Canadiens to their second 100-point season since the 2007–08 season. The Canadiens were seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated them in four games, marking Price's first playoff victory since his rookie year. For the fourth time in Price's NHL career, the Montreal Canadiens met the defending Boston Bruins in the second round. The Canadiens upset the Bruins in seven games in comparison to their previous two postseason appearances. Price shut down the Bruins in Game 6 by a score of 4–0 before losing 3–1 to Boston and advance to the Conference Finals. Following a 4–2 loss in Game 5 at TD Garden, Price shuts down Game 5 by a score of 4–0 before winning by 29 shots in Game 7 by a score of 4–1. The Canadiens' tenure ended against the New York Rangers, but not before that. With the Rangers up 2–0 at the end of the second period, Rangers forward Chris Kreider crashed into Price in Game 1 at the Bell Centre, with the Rangers up 2–0 near the end of the second period. He will remain in net for the remainder of the season, allowing two more goals before the intermission. In Game 1, the Rangers scored three more goals to thrail the Canadiens 7–2 in Game 1. Price was then replaced by backup Peter Budaj in the third period. As the Canadiens lost in six games to the Rangers in their second year in a row, Price was soon ruled out for the remainder of the series due to injury.

If the Canadiens win the Atlantic Division, Price will continue to reignite 2014–15 with his best season of his career (0.93), and wins (44), the three most common goalstender categories. He'll continue to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's top goaltender, the Ted Lindsay Award as the best goaltender, and the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed (in a tie with the Chicago Blackhawks with 189 goals allowed). He was only the second franchise player to win four awards in a season.

Price sustained a knee injury early in the 2015-16 season. He was expected to return after six weeks after suffering the injury. However, the Canadiens announced on April 6, 2016 that Price will not return for the remainder of the season. Price's injury was confirmed to be a medial collateral ligament injury (MCL sprain).

Price will win by 10 in a season for the first time in a lifetime (later bested by Jack Campbell of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2020–21 season).

Price signed an eight-year contract extension, worth US$10.5 million per year to US$84 million for the entire term, after being revealed on July 2, 2017. His new deal will continue through the 2025-26 season. Price was the highest paid goaltender in the 2018–2019 NHL season, beating goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Price dropped out of the lineup due to a minor lower body injury, leaving goaltenders Al Montoya and Charlie Lindgren to take their positions. After suffering a concussion in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on February 22, 2018, Price was ruled out indefinitely. Price returned from his concussion and played in 13 games against the Florida Panthers on March 19, 2018. Despite his injuries, Price made his Canadiens debut on April 3, 2018, besting the previous franchise record holder Jacques Plante.

With his 290th career victory, Price beat Patrick Roy for second place in Canadiens franchise career victories over the Boston Bruins on October 27, 2018. Price was chosen to attend the 2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game for his sixth All-Star nomination, but he had to cancel due to a lower-body injury.

Price beat the Detroit Red Wings 3–1 on March 12, 2019 in first place in Canadiens franchise history wins, surpassing Jacques Plante for first place in Canadiens franchise victories with his 315th appearance.

Price appeared in 58 games in the regular season, a disappointing.909 save percentage. The regular season was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the NHL's discussions on the style of the beleaguered 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Price's appearance on the Canadiens' lineup became a point of debate in the media. The Canadiens were supposed to play in a qualifying round against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it was reported that the Penguins had objected to the prospect of a best-of-three series because Price's presence gave the Canadiens an unfair advantage relative to their regular season results. This was never revealed by the Penguins openly. In the end, a best-of-five style was ultimately chosen. In the qualifying round, the Canadiens defeated the Penguins 3–1. Price was a.947 save percentage. The team went on to lose the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 2 games to 2.

With pandemic restrictions and effects still in place, the NHL has arranged for all teams to play exclusively within realigned divisions for the 2020-21 season, with all Canadian teams playing in the newly formed North Division. After a collision with the Edmonton Oilers' Alex Chiasson, Price sustained a concussion towards the end of the season on April 20th. On May 17, he appeared with the Laval Rocket, the Canadiens' AHL affiliate. Price earned an underwhelming.901 save percentage and 2.64 goals against average in the Canadiens' clinching the final seed in the playoffs at an underwhelming.901 save percentage and 2.64 goals against average.

While the Canadiens advanced to their first Stanley Cup Final in 28 years, Price will see significant changes throughout the playoffs. In seven games, the Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 3-1 series deficit, then thrashed the Winnipeg Jets in round 2, and then triumphed the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in the semifinals. Price was often cited as the Canadiens' most important player in the Canadiens' deep run to the Final. When asked about Price's regular and post-season results in recent years, former Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said, "I guess we could use he's a big-game player." He rises to the occasion. "He does an excellent job under pressure."

Price and the Canadiens lost the first three games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals, but they won Game 4 in overtime to avoid being swept. In Game 5, the Canadiens lost 1–0 as the Lightning captured their second-consecutive Stanley Cup title, Price made 32 saves and then 29 saves.

The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft was scheduled with the arrival of the Seattle Kraken as the league's thirty-second team. Since each team was only allowed to shield one goaltender and Price had a contractual promise of indemnity in those situations, it was widely expected that the Kraken would choose Price's replacement Allen based on his solid results in the previous season and budgetary constraints. Price wanted to waive his no movement guarantee so the Canadiens could shield Allen instead, despite the fact that the Kraken did not agree to take up Price's contract due to its cap hit and duration.

In the end, the Kraken lost the opportunity to choose Price and selected defenseman Cale Fleury from the Canadiens. "Now that Seattle has passed," the Athletic said, "the fact that Price will live in a Canadiens uniform makes it impossible to deny."

In July of 2021, Price underwent knee surgery and was forecast to begin the season on October 13. However, the Canadiens revealed on October 7 that Price would be participating in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, which was designed to assist NHL players and their families dealing with substance misuse, mental health, and other personal challenges. Following "years of neglecting [his] own mental stability," Price rejoined his Canadiens colleagues and went on to release a statement announcing his resignation.

Following his release from the player assistance program, Price began a long recovery of his knee, a process that took months longer than was expected and involved multiple setbacks. In his absence, the Canadiens, who were plagued by injuries to other players, finished third in the league standings. Geoff Molson sacked general manager Bergevin, and Dominique Ducharme was fired soon after, leaving Martin St. Louis, a former teammate of Price's on the 2014 Canadian Olympic team. Early April, it was announced that Price would fly with the team to away games against New Jersey and Toronto, but that he would not participate in either of them. Following days of rumors, it was announced that he would start against the New York Islanders on April 15, the Canadiens' seventh game of the season. In a 3–0 loss to the Islanders, he gave up 2 goals on 20 shots in his return. Price consulted with his New York-based knee injury specialist on other games, but "there were no legitimate questions answered for me" after three more games. He returned to the net for the Canadiens' last game of the season, a 10–2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Price also stated that he would like further information over the summer. "If it is it, it will be a great way to do it," he said of the possibility that the season-ender was his last game with the team.

Price was selected as a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which was given to the player who "exemplifies the attributes of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." "There are obstacles in life that will always be threatening you, and I think being able to overcome those and keeping things in perspective and moving forward is something we should all be teaching our children and loved ones."

Price was unlikely to play during the 2022–23 season, according to Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes, and it would most likely require additional surgery if he were to return at all. In an interview with The Athletic, Price later revealed that the planned surgery was an osteochondral autograft transfer, but that the chances of a successful result were so poor that it was unlikely that he would pursue it, given the danger to his daily quality of life if it does not succeed.

Career statistics

Bold numbers point to the league's leader.

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