Carey Price is stepping into a new kind of season, and this one has nothing to do with the NHL.
The former Montreal Canadiens goaltender is set to begin a fresh chapter as his son Lincoln starts his first year of minor hockey. Price said in September 2023 that his knee injuries kept him from playing at the level he expected of himself, and that he would work to get his knee healthy enough for everyday life. He also made it clear he wanted to be able to skate and play with his children as they got older.
That moment appears to be here. In a Q&A on Instagram, Angela Price said that the couple’s youngest child, Lincoln, born in October 2020, will be playing hockey for the first time this year.
She also shared a photo of Price helping his son get fully dressed in hockey gear. For Price, that’s the whole point of the “retirement” he was aiming for: being there for family moments like this.
Price still has not formally announced his retirement, though he did take part in a celebratory retirement weekend earlier this summer. Angela organized it, and several former Canadiens teammates were there as well.
There’s also another milestone coming. Price is set to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, and that should lead to recognition at the Bell Centre and a spot in the Ring of Honor this season, which is the usual Canadiens tradition for former players who reach the Hall.
When he stepped away from the game, Price was already the winningest goaltender in Canadiens history, and his 361 wins with the club remain a mark that does not figure to be broken any time soon. He also finished with 49 shootout wins, placing him third in team history behind Jacques Plante’s 58 and Georges Hainsworth’s 75. Over his career, Price posted a .917 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Are Revisiting A Draft Choice That Still Hurts
The 2013 NHL Draft remains one of those nights Canadiens fans still revisit when the conversation turns to what might have been. Montral went with Michael McCarron at No. 25, looking to add size and a heavier edge to the roster, and he did eventually get into the lineup at times. But much of his development came in the AHL, and his time with the organization ended when he was traded to the Nashville Predators.
Right after that pick, Anaheim took Shea Theodore at No. 26, and his career path has been the sort that keeps hindsight buzzing around Montral. Theodore grew into a regular NHL defenseman, won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights and even represented Canada at the Olympics, which only sharpens the contrast for Canadiens supporters still thinking about how different the blue line might have looked. It is the kind of draft slide that never fully goes away because the alternate timeline is easy to picture, even if it will never be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Suzuki Keeps Raising The Canadiens Ceiling Again
Nick Suzukis rise has become one of the clearest reasons the Canadiens can talk about a higher ceiling with a straight face. After a career-best season that saw him finish with 101 points and capture the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the Montreal captain has moved beyond promising centerpiece and into the category of player who can tilt the direction of a franchise. The steady climb in his game has been the kind of progression teams spend years hoping to find, and it has given Montreal a true driver in the middle of its lineup.
What makes Suzukis outlook so intriguing now is that last season may not have been the peak, only the latest step. There is a growing sense around the Canadiens that he can challenge the 100-point mark again if the rest of the roster gives him enough support, and that possibility carries real weight as the team looks ahead. The shape of Montreals forward group and any changes around him will matter, but Suzuki has already shown he can keep raising the standard even as the expectations around him keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Quiet Roster Squeeze That Could Reshape Next Season
The Canadiens have spent much of the summer locking in pieces of their core, but the quieter challenge now is figuring out what the next version of the roster is supposed to look like. Eight players are set to hit free agency after the season, and while Montreal has some obvious names it would like to keep around, the picture is already getting complicated enough that the front office has to balance continuity, cost and timing all at once.
Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook and Jayden Struble look positioned to be part of the conversation going forward, but the list of possible departures is where the real pressure starts to build. Samuel Montembeault, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Carrier could all be moving into what amounts to a final year in Montreal, and with contract decisions and trade possibilities both hanging over the group, the Canadiens may end up reshaping more than just the bottom of the roster before next season arrives. [Read more 🡒]