Whether you’ve been a fan of the Montreal Canadiens for a year, or a decade, or even a lifetime, in the past nearly 20 years there has been one name that has become synonymous for all fans alike: Carey Price.
Drafted fifth overall way back in 2005, deemed a bust at the time by NHL analyst Pierre McGuire, Price turned out to become one of the most elite franchise players, and found himself at the top in most goaltending categories to ever don a Habs sweater, and in the entire NHL.
When he was first noticed on our radar, he had just come off winning the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens’ farm team at the time, and also winning the Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year.
With the confidence of his junior career in the rear mirror, Price started in the 2007-08 season with the big club, splitting goaltending duties with Cristobal Huet, and a few games by Jaroslav Halak. The Anahim Lake, British Columbia native dressed for 41 games in his rookie campaign, going 24-12-3 including three shutouts.
Fast forward and Price had become recognized for his consistency when called upon, becoming a household name, and he had garnered quite the following at the same time.
However it was following an outstanding playoff performance by Halak (not Price!) during the 2010 playoff run, that saw the Habs go deep and all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to Philadelphia, the Habs brass and fans alike both had the ultimate question in their mind: do we keep Halak, or do we keep Price?
In the end the Habs opted with the younger Price, shipping Halak to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for young Danish forward Lars Eller. The trade seemed to pay off in dividends, both for them (Montreal) and also for Price himself to shine for the Habs, and as well on the international stage as well. Price was officially deemed the goaltender of the future.
In early 2014, with the Sochi Olympics right around the corner, Price was named to the Canadian National Team, along with his teammate (and best friend) P.K. Subban. It would be the first time Price would don the maple leaf representing Canada since 2007.
He was named alongside other goaltenders Mike Smith and Roberto Luongo. And despite Luongo being the winning goaltender at the previous Olympics in 2010 Vancouver, Price was named the starting goaltender ahead of game one versus Norway.
Price was nothing short of lights out throughout the entirety of the tournament. One of his biggest tests came in the semi-finals, facing their long-time archrival USA. The game ended a 1-0 shutout by Price, stopping all 31 shots he faced, and Dallas Stars’ captain Jamie Benn getting the lone goal. Price recorded his second back-to-back shutout in the gold medal game, stopping 24 versus Sweden en route to Canada winning gold.
Price was near perfect all tournament long, going 5-0, 0.59 goals-against-average, conceding only three goals. TOTAL. He was named, much to nobody’s surprise, the tournament’s best goaltender.
Later that season, back with Montreal, the Canadiens were pumped and motivated by Price’s stellar Olympic play, that also carried over to them, and they went on a deep playoff run, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins before the Eastern Conference finals (like 2010) but this time against the New York Rangers. That’s where it all came crashing (literally!) down.
In the first game of the series, Rangers forward Chris Kreider came barrelling in alone on Price, and going skates first into his legs. The game was in Montreal, and the boos could be round the province. Price actually would remain in the game, but afterwards, it was evident, his season was done. Montreal lost to New York in six, but karma veered its head at them, losing in the Cup Finals to the Los Angeles Kings.
Price bounced back the following the season, seemingly starting the 2014-15 season, wanting to get back to his prime form, and he did, in a huge way! He finished the season with 44 wins, an unheard 1.96 goals-against, and a .933 save percentage.
Following his record-setting numbers, Price was invited to the NHL Awards gala, and cleaned house. He won almost all categories he was nominated for; he won the Vezina for top goalie, the Hart for league MVP, the Ted Lindsay for MVP voted by his peers, and shared the William Jennings Award for lowest amount of goals against with the Chicago Blackhawks’ Corey Crawford.
Early the following season though, in late November 2015, Price was injured yet again in a game versus the Rangers, but it wasn’t Kreider this time. The Habs had announced his injury as a groin injury, and as a goaltender, would be out for four-to-six weeks… which turned into the entire season, when at the end of the season, it was finally revealed to be a medial collateral ligament injury (knee).
Despite all these recent injury setbacks, Price still showed up at the Bell Centre almost every night, supporting his teammates, and itching to get back in the crease.
In July 2017 he signed an eight-year contract at $10.5 million a season, marking him the highest-paid goaltender at the time. That season was not one for the record books, as he got injured a plethora of times, dressing for only 49 games, winning only 16.
Though on April 3, 2018, in a game against the Winnipeg Jets, Price surpassed Hall of Fame goaltender Jacques Plante by playing in his 557th career game with the franchise, moving Price into tops on the games played list with the mark.
The following season, he wanted to get into top shape yet again, and on October 27, 2018, he recorded his 290th career win as a Hab, surpassing another Hall of Fame and former Hab Patrick Roy for second all-time. Then finally on March 12, 2019, he recorded win number 315, passing Plante, and Price, at the age of 31, became the historic Montreal Canadiens all-time winningest goaltenders.
His final big presence with Montreal came in the 2020-21 COVID-shortened season, when he was able to help propel them to a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals, for the first time since 1993. Upsetting the Maple Leafs, the Jets, a wild upset over the Vegas Golden Knights, before facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in a battle for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
It would also be the first, and likely only, time, that the Canadiens were the Western Conference Champions. Despite all their great efforts, Montreal would lose the series in five, running out of gas, and letting Tampa take their second championship in two years.
After the season concluded, Price underwent surgery on his knee that had been plaguing him for years. He was supposed by opening day the next season, but prior to the season’s start, he entered the NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program for substance abuse, mental health and other personal challenges.
He missed the majority of the 2021-22 campaign coming back at the end of the season, playing in the season finale, winning 10-2 over the Florida Panthers, his last ever victory and game for the team.
Sadly Carey Price hasn’t played a single game in a Habs uniform since then, despite still being under contract. His injuries and mental health struggles have made it extremely difficult to return to the Price we once used to watch with excitement.
Back on August 13, another former Habs goaltender – and Hall of Famer, Ken Dryden, said in an interview when asked if the Canadiens should retire Price’s number 31, he responded with,
“I think the answer is pretty clear.”
Price may not have won a Stanley Cup in Montreal in his playing career between 2007-2022, but he does have the distinction of being the winningest (361), most games played (712), fourth in save percentage – and he’s third all time in shutouts (49) behind only Plante (58) and George Hainsworth (75) – and the latter had 22 in one season.
I think he truly does deserve to have his number hang from the rafters, after all his accomplishments, his tenacity, his dedication to the game and the city of Montreal, and his constant determination to try to play, it’s a no-brainer, but I’m no expert – what about you?
