“It was heartwarming” – Montreal Canadians goal-tender Carey Price returns to the ice
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Carey Price
Montreal Canadians goaltender Carey Price received a hearty welcome back to his team, despite suffering the loss to the New York Islanders on Friday night. Their loss failed to dampen the positive vibes around Bell center as the franchise star played his first NHL game since 7 July 2021.
Carey Price had not appeared in an NHL game since the 2021 Stanley Cup Finale where team Montreal was eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning. After his recent return, Price achieved 17 saves in a 3-0 loss to the Islanders. After the game Price said,
“It’s definitely been a trying season, for myself on a personal level and for the team. I didn’t feel quite normal, but pretty close,”
Carey Price’s return to the team
Carey Price sustained a knee injury during the offseason after 2021. He put off his no-movement clause to be left unprotected in the Seattle Krake expansion draft; the thought being about his massive contract deterring Seattle from selecting him. He wasn’t taken. On October 7, Price willingly entered the NHLPA player assistance program for what he noted was substance abuse.
“Over the last few years, I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn’t have the tools to cope with that struggle,”
Price returned to his team (Montreal Canadians) in late 2021 but suffered several setbacks, including a lengthy recovery from his surgery and a non-COVID-related illness that forced him to stay out of the ring.
“It’s been a lot of hard work. Not only by myself but by the training staff,” Price said.
His recent return to the field was warmly welcomed by his teammates. Paul Byron, Montreal’s winger noted,
“I’m incredibly happy that he could play tonight. Finally get into game action. He’s a huge part of our team, and it’s been tough here for him,”. “He’s a quiet guy. He’s got a calm, passive demeanor to him. But I know how much that meant to him and how much it meant to his family.”
His family also greeted him during the warmups. This was his first play where his son, Lincoln attended,
“I think he was a little put off by [my] mask and equipment,” Price said jokingly.
Carey Price made his first save in 3 minutes 32 seconds of the game on a shot by the Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri as stated on ESPN.in. Standing ovations were performed by the crowd to cheer on him and encourage him in his play after his return.
This is Carey Price’s 15th NHL season, with a career record of 360-257-79 in 707 games all with the Montreal Canadians.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2140 Articles Published)