A pair of Montreal Canadiens should be bound for the Hall of Fame in the next two years.
There’s a good chance that ex-Canadiens captain Shea Weber and longtime starting goalie Carey Price get inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the near future — even if they don’t announce their retirement from the game.
Although Weber is technically under contract with the Arizona Coyotes until 2026 and Price remains under LTIR status with a contract that doesn’t expire for three more years, both players are eligible for the Hall, given that they don’t make a return to the ice.
That’s due to one of the following induction criteria:
- Only four male players and two female players can be inducted per year
- The selection committee consists of 18 members
- Only candidates who appear on 75% or more of the final ballots are elected to the Hall
- Players who are inactive from professional hockey for three full seasons or more are eligible, even if they have not yet announced their retirement
While they came close in 2021, neither of them managed to win a Stanley Cup throughout their respective careers. Nonetheless, both Weber and Price have plenty of accolades that make them hard to overlook.
The Case for Weber
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A seven-time NHL All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Weber’s professional career was, in a word, solid.
Known for his lethal slapshot, physicality, and leadership, Weber, who captained both the Nashville Predators and Canadiens, was one of the league’s top defencemen for a good part of the 2000s and 2010s.
His most productive season (2013-2014) saw him netting 23 goals and 56 points in 79 games.
While it’s a given that his number will be retired in Nashville, an induction into the Hall is also likely.
The Case for Price
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Drafted by the Canadiens in 2005, it didn’t take long for Price to become the face of Montreal’s franchise.
And he certainly lived up to the hype.
Throughout a career that spans nearly two decades, the Anaheim Lake, BC, native has won the Vezina Trophy, Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy, a Calder Cup, and an Olympic gold medal.
Price’s best season (2014-2015) saw him logging stats that included a 1.96 GAA and .933 SV%.
He also became the winningest goalie in Canadiens history in 2019, surpassing the likes of Montreal legends like Jacques Plante and Patrick Roy in the process.