Getty Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price
Although not actively playing for the Montreal Canadiens even though he’s under contract, Carey Price is already a living legend of the Habs.
A key figure for the Habs since making his debut all the way back in the 2007-08 season, Price has faced significant challenges in recent years.
He spoke about his health and struggles in an interview published by Arpon Basu of The Athletic on July 16. In a rather brutal comparison, Price compared parts of his career to suffering a car crash, even though he was in his mid-20s.
“You wake up the morning after a hockey game and, even as a mid-20-year-old, you’re already kind of feeling like you’ve been through a car crash. You know long term that’s going to take a toll. So yeah, you know, but you’re also kind of thinking that I only have one life to live, and this is what I want to do with my life,” Price told Basu. “At the end of the day, as you get towards the end of your career you start thinking, ‘OK, well, at that point I’ve paid a price for this,’ and then you have to start looking (at life) after hockey, and then you start thinking I want to be able to walk and play with my kids.”
Price told Basu that he avoided taking pain medication during his career, although the netminder admitted to taking Advil throughout it.
“[I didn’t take medication] outside of Advil,” Price said. “That was one thing I was always very careful about because I had friends and family and all sorts of connections to that world, and I know the road that could possibly lead to. So I always kind of shied away from that aspect of it. But Advil was never out of reach.”
Canadiens’ Carey Price ‘Do Miss’ Playing Hockey
The Habs drafted Price with the No. 5 pick in the 2005 NHL draft. He finished fourth in Calder (best rookie) voting and ninth in Vezina (best goalie) voting after posting a 24-12-3 record and a .920 save percentage as a rookie.
Price went on to play 712 NHL games throughout his career. According to NHL.com, that’s the second-most games played all-time among goalies who spent their entire NHL career with one franchise.
“I actually do miss playing the game. I miss playing hockey,” Price told Basu. “I’m kind of hoping one day I could go out and maybe score a goal or two. Playing goal again is pretty unlikely with the torque it takes on my knee. Even when I’m out skating with my kids on the outdoor rink, I can still feel in my knee that it’s pretty shifty compared to my other side. But I’m hoping one day I might be able to go putt around and hit a few goalies in the head.”
Price has kept up an all-time record of 361-261-79, including 49 shutouts, a 2.51 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. He signed an eight-year, $84 million extension with a $10.5 million annual average value (AAV) extension on July 2, 2017, which runs through the end of the 2025-26 season.
Could the Canadiens Waive Carey Price?
Marc Dumont of Montreal Hockey Now suggested on June 11 that the Canadiens should consider trading franchise legend Carey Price to create cap room and give the franchise financial relief.
“Given that Price’s contract is still part of the mix, to reach maximum financial maneuverability, the Canadiens must place Price’s contract on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR),” Dumont wrote.
Dumont’s case for moving Price’s contract makes sense considering the goalie’s career is pretty much over. Price confirmed his career was virtually finished on September 2023, considering his return to play a “miracle” then.
“On a day-to-date basis, I feel really good. But when I do certain things on a consistent basis, it’s a very, very solid remainder that my knee’s not in a position to take the brunt of a full season’s workload,” Price said on September 12, 2023. “I still get a tremendous amount of swelling in it.
“So, for short periods of time, I can do things that are strenuous. But the honest thing is, right now it’s just not going to happen. For now, I’m just going to continue to try and rehab my knee where it’s fit for a life in general.”
Carey Price underwent knee surgery on Friday, and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2021-22 season.
Price’s hip and knee problems worsened during the 2021 playoffs. The Canadiens announced on July 24, 2021, that the goalie would be ready for Opening Night of the 2021-22 season.
However, Price entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program at the start of the 2021-22 campaign. After that, Price suffered a setback during his comeback attempt while training. Habs VP of hockey communications Chantal Machabee revealed the new injury meant “essentially starting from scratch in his rehab for his knee.”
Price last played for the Habs in April 2022, in a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders.