Former Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price will be eligible as a first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer in 2025.
This past weekend, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted its most recent members, highlighted by former Montreal Canadiens captain Shea Weber and other stars like Jeremy Roenick and Pavel Datsyuk.
Now that the Class of 2024 has its rings, everyone's attention has switched toward the candidates for the 2025 class, which will feature several prominent players like Zdeno Chara, Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, and former Canadiens Hart Trophy winner Carey Price.
Considering that many worthy candidates, like Alexander Mogilny, have been waiting for years for their chance, the potential Class of 2025 is loaded with hockey legends, meaning some will get in and others will not be first-ballot inductees.
Realistically, Thornton, Chara, and Keith are most likely getting in on their first year of eligibility because of their resumes, which include four Stanley Cups, three Norris Trophies, plus one Conn Smythe, Art Ross, Hart Trophy, and a combined 2,865 points.
Making the voting process difficult for first-year candidates will be Price, arguably one of the best goalies of his era and one of just eight goalies to be voted NHL MVP.
The one-time Vezina Trophy winner compiled a 361-261-79 record in 712 games, recording the most wins and games played in Canadiens history.
Montreal has legendary goalies like Jacques Plante, Georges Vezina, and Patrick Roy; Price is right there with those pioneers as the greatest goalies in franchise history.
Even though the Class of 2023 was loaded with goalies, including Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, and Miek Vernon, the fewest members inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame are goalies, with just 42, meaning Price's entrance as a first ballot candidate is not guaranteed.
However, if there are any arguments to be made, it's that Price defined an entire decade of Montreal hockey, just like Lundqvist did in New York. Had he not suffered a career-ending lower-body injury, it's safe to say that he'd still be wearing a Canadiens sweater and working his way toward 400 wins and 800 games.
Right now, Price is just waiting for his phone call from the Hockey Hall of Fame to earn a plaque in Toronto while also waiting for the Canadiens to call and offer him a spot in the rafters at the Bell Centre. It is no longer a matter of if he gets those calls, it's just when he does.
