Carey Price provided Montreal Canadiens fans with an update on a knee injury that’s kept him off the ice for the better part of two seasons at a press conference in Brossard on Tuesday.
And given the circumstances, it seems like the 36-year-old is unlikely to return to the game, “barring a miracle.”
With that said, he is happy to help the Habs in any way he can — even if that means no longer being part of the franchise.
“I am really open to helping the team, even if it means trading me,” said Price, who still has three seasons on a contract that pays him an average of $10.5 million a year.
But if general manager Kent Hughes were to move Price’s large contract to make more cap space, the goalie would first have to waive his no-movement clause, something he did in the 2021 offseason ahead of the NHL’s expansion draft.
The Habs, who are nearly $5 million over the salary cap (according to Cap Friendly) if they don’t place the netminder under LTIR status, would also likely need to add in a sweetener to any potential deal in order for a team to accept Price’s cap hit.
Despite that possibility, Price’s allegiance to the team that drafted him back in 2005 remains very strong.
“Everyone knows that hockey is a business – managing money and cap space are part of it; no matter what happens, I will be a Montreal Canadien for the rest of my life,” Price explained. “I am very proud of that.”
Despite recently moving to Kelowna, BC, the longtime Canadiens starter has been spotted in the city multiple times over the summer at events like the Grand Prix, the team’s annual golf tournament, and Canadiens Hockey School.
While he seems to be enjoying the outings, there is no replacement for playing in front of a fired-up Bell Centre crowd on a Saturday night.
“That feeling, that energy before games is something that I’m going to miss a lot,” Price, who plans on attending this year’s home opener, explained. “But, you know, I’m going to be a Montreal Canadiens super fan now.”
When asked what his favourite moment in a Canadiens sweater over 15 seasons was, the winningest goalie in franchise history had trouble picking just one, but ultimately settled on a recent milestone.
“I think obviously one of my favourites is going to be going to the finals and the excitement around the city and watching people outside with their pure enjoyment of us going to the finals,” Price said. “I think that’s something that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”
Over 682 career games with Montreal, Price posted a .917 save percentage, collecting plenty of accolades along the way, such as a Masterton Trophy, Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Olympic Gold Medal, and William M. Jennings Trophy.
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