Carey Price may be done playing goal in the NHL, but he still had enough left in him to make Mike Grier laugh.
After Price was traded to the San Jose Sharks last fall, he showed up for his physical and took the opportunity to make a playful pitch to the team’s general manager. It was the kind of offbeat move that fit him perfectly, a reminder that even after his playing career ended, Price never really lost that dry sense of humor.
The joke came with an edge of truth, too. Price clearly misses the NHL, but he also knows his days as a goaltender are over. His career is behind him now, and he’s not capable of getting back in net at the level the league demands.
That doesn’t mean he’s walked away from hockey completely. He now skates as a wing in a beer league near his home, where he feels less exposed and can better protect his damaged knee. According to the source, he’s said to be a surprisingly smart and talented forward, just nowhere close to NHL caliber.
The reason his run ended was his knees. The pain became too severe and too damaging to keep going as a goalie. He still loves the game, and if he were even remotely able to try a comeback, he would.
Since his last NHL game, he hasn’t put his goalie pads back on. His knees are holding up, but he does have to take it easy at times to stay healthy.
In Other News...
Canadiens Blue Line Logjam Just Cost Them Another Young Defenseman
The Canadiens defensive depth has become one of the more persistent talking points around the organization, and William Trudeaus latest move is another sign of how crowded that lane has become. After several seasons with the Laval Rocket and only limited NHL opportunities in Montreal, the former Canadiens defenseman has moved on to the New York Rangers organization, where he sees a clearer path to the league.
Trudeau said the depth chart in Montreal was part of the equation, even as he spoke respectfully about his time with both the Canadiens and Laval. For a young blue-liner trying to turn steady development into an NHL look, the appeal of a fresh start is obvious, and his departure adds one more name to the list of prospects who found the road blocked before it ever really opened. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Big Bolduc Decision Next To Suzuki And Caufield
Zachary Bolducs first season with the Canadiens offered both encouragement and frustration, which is usually how these things go when a player is trying to establish himself in Montreal. Acquired from the St. Louis Blues, he opened fast enough to make people notice, then settled into a more uneven stretch as the year wore on, with his production cooling off and his role shrinking at times.
Still, Bolducs playoff play gave the Canadiens something to think about going into next season, especially with the possibility of him being asked to skate in a far more prominent spot alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. For a team looking to sort out the best version of its top end, his progress in the spring matters almost as much as the uneven regular season that came before it. [Read more 🡒]
Kent Hughes May Be Ending The Canadiens Quiet Summer Soon
The Canadiens have spent much of late summer in a holding pattern, but that quiet stretch may be nearing an end. Montreal is expected to make at least one official announcement soon, and the buzz around the team has centered on Kent Hughes possibly closing the book on a relatively uneventful offseason with a late move or roster update.
The exact nature of the news remains unclear, with no confirmations yet from the club. Still, sources indicate something could break early in the week, giving Canadiens fans a fresh point of attention before the calendar turns fully toward the next phase of team business. [Read more 🡒]