Over the last 25 years, no player has been more important to the Montreal Canadiens organization than Carey Price.
While not officially retired from the NHL, a knee injury has kept the veteran goaltender off the ice for over two years.
That means, barring a miracle comeback, Price would be eligible to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as soon as next summer, since he will not have played for three years.
Announced earlier this week, this year’s list of inductees included some big names, such as Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, and former Canadiens captain Shea Weber (who is also not officially retired).
Other first-time eligible players that could be considered in 2025 include Zdeno Chara, Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith, and Price.
So, what are No. 31’s chances of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
First, let’s look at the 36-year-old’s resume.
Drafted fifth overall by Montreal in 2005, Price backstopped the Habs for over a decade, leading multiple low-calibre rosters on deep playoff runs.
Along with a surprise Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2021, Price also won the Vezina Trophy, Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, a Calder Cup, and an Olympic gold medal over his 15-season Canadiens tenure.
With that said, despite becoming the winningest goalie in franchise history, the Anaheim Lake, BC, native was unable to capture the NHL’s ultimate prize, coming just a few wins away from a championship in his deepest postseason run.
While that could be a deal-breaker for some voters, plenty of other inductees have failed to secure a Cup.
Over the years, the Hall has given nods to multiple goalies who failed to reach the feat, such as Henrik Lundqvist (2023), Roberto Luongo (2022), and Eddie Giacomin (1987).
Having won virtually every other trophy a netminder could win, the absence of Price’s name on the trophy should not keep him out of the Hall.
But considering the organization only dishes out a handful of nods each year, he might not necessarily get in on his first try.
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