Carey Price

Carey Price
Price during the 2010–11 NHL season.
Born	(1987-08-16) August 16, 1987 Anahim Lake, BC, CAN
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Catches	Left
NHL team	Montreal Canadiens
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	5th overall, 2005 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	2007–present

Carey Price (born August 16, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Beginning his junior career with the Tri-City Americans in 2003, Price was drafted 5th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft following his second season with the Americans. Following a further two seasons with the Americans, where he won both the Del Wilson Trophy as the top goaltender in the WHL and CHL Goaltender of the Year in his final season of major junior in 2007. Joining the Canadiens farm team, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL just as the Calder Cup playoffs begun, Price led the Bulldogs to the Calder Cup championship, winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the tournament MVP. Price made the Canadiens roster for the 2007-2008 NHL season as the backup goaltender before becoming the starting goaltender later that season.

Internationally, Price has represented Canada at various tournaments at junior levels, winning silver medals at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2004 and the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2005. He also won the gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden. On January 7, 2014, he was named to the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team.

Early life

Carey Price was born in Vancouver, British Columbia but was raised in the remote town of Anahim Lake in northern British Columbia. He was taught to play goaltender by his father on a frozen creek during the winter months and played organized hockey in Williams Lake nearly five and a half hours away by car. Having to make the ten hour round trip three days a week, Carey's father bought a plane to fly him to practice and games.

Playing career

Tri-City Americans

Price talks to backup Alex Auld in Pittsburgh, March 2011.

Price made his first appearance in the Western Hockey League in a single game for the Tri-City Americans during the 2002–2003 season. He then made the Tri-City roster the next season, appearing in 28 games as the backup for Colorado Avalanche prospect Tyler Weiman, posting a 2.38 GAA and .915 Save percentage. The next season, Price took over as the primary starter of the team and established himself as a top goaltender, playing in a league-high 63 games with a 2.34 GAA and .920 save percentage and 8 shutouts, both in the league top 10. Ranking as the best North American goaltender by NHL Central Scouting, Price was drafted 5th overall by the Montreal Canadiens, a move considered surprising by many who thought Price would not be drafted until the middle of the 1st Round.^[1]

During the 2005–2006 season, Price's play in Tri-City suffered considerably and he ended the season with a 2.87 GAA and a .906 save percentage while starting 55 games. Price rebounded the next season with a very strong 2005–2006 season, posting an excellent 2.45 GAA and .917 save percentage while winning both the Del Wilson Trophy as the top WHL goaltender and the CHL Goaltender of the Year award.^[2] Despite this, the Americans were eliminated in 6 games during the 2007 playoffs.

Hamilton Bulldogs

Following the Tri-City Americans early playoff exit, Price joined the Montreal Canadiens farm team later that spring just before the start of the 2007 Calder Cup playoffs. In two Regular season appearances with the Bulldogs, Price allowed only 3 goals and won both games. Price led the Bulldogs on a remarkable run that spring, defeating the Hershey Bears 4 games to 1 in the finals as the team won their first Calder Cup. Price became only the third teenage goaltender to win the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the tournament MVP, posting a 2.06 GAA and .936 save percentage.

Montreal Canadiens (2007-present)

On October 1, 2007, Price was named to Montreal Canadiens roster for the start of the 2007–08 season. He made his highly anticipated Canadiens debut on October 10, 2007, against the Pittsburgh Penguins and recorded 26 saves in a 3–2 win. After the first month of the season, he was awarded the Canadiens' Molson Cup for October, given to the player with the most first-star selections. Although re-assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs midway through the season in January, he was called back up shortly over a month later. With the trading of starting goaltender Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals before the trading deadline, Price assumed the starting role for the Canadiens. He was subsequently named the NHL Rookie of the Month for March^[3] and the NHL First Star of the Week (ending April 6, 2008)^[4] as the Canadiens finished first overall in the Eastern Conference and earned their first division title since 1991–92.^[3] Price completed the regular season leading all rookie goaltenders in wins (24), save percentage (.920), and shutouts (3).

Price warming up in 2009

Entering the playoffs against the Boston Bruins, Price recorded a 1–0 win on April 15, 2008, becoming the first Canadiens rookie to post a playoff shutout since Patrick Roy in 1986.^[5] He would go on to record another shutout in game seven to eliminate Boston. Montreal lost in the second round to the Philadelphia Flyers with Price losing 3 of the last 4 games.

After a strong start to the 2008–09 season, in which he earned a second Molson Cup in November, Price injured his ankle on December 30, 2008.^[6] Forced out of action for nearly a month, during which he was voted in as a starting goalie for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal (along with teammates Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek)^[7] he made his return to action on January 20, 2009 after backup Jaroslav Halak was pulled in a 4–2 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers.^[6] Going into the 2009 playoffs as the eighth and final seed, the Canadiens played the Boston Bruins in the opening round for the second consecutive season. They were swept in four games, with the Bruins scoring at least four times in each game. In the final game at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Price surrendered four goals in two periods. After stopping a weak dump-in, the crowd cheered sarcastically and Price responded by putting his arms up in the air, similar to Patrick Roy's gesture on December 2, 1995, in a game after which Roy requested a trade from the Canadiens.^[8]

Price struggled throughout the 2009-10 season, winning only 13 games and losing the starting job to Halak as the Canadiens entered the playoffs as the eighth and final seed. Although the Canadiens made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference final, upsetting both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins along the way, Price appeared in only four games, losing one and getting no decision in each of the others, only coming off the bench when the game was out of hand. The highlight of the season for Price was stopping 37 of 38 shots in a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins in the Canadiens 100 year anniversary game on December 4, 2009, and the low point was surrendering four goals in his only start of the playoffs. In the summer of 2010, both Price and Halák became restricted free agents and a goaltending debate emerged in Montreal over who would remain with the team, the playoff hero Halak, or the younger Price. After weeks of media speculation, the Canadiens chose Price, trading Halak to the St. Louis Blues and re-signing Price to a two year, $5.5 million contract to return to his role as starting goaltender.^[9]

The 2010–2011 NHL pre-season was a tough start for Price. However during the 2010-11 NHL Regular Season, Price played in 72 games recording new career highs including 38 wins, 8 shutouts, a 2.35 goals against average, and a .923 save percentage and was selected to play in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game. This play from Price allowed the Montreal Canadiens to enter the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. This strong play continued for Price in the playoffs posting a .935 save percentage, however it was not enough to lead the Canadiens to victory as they fell in seven games in the first round to the Boston Bruins. On October 26, 2011, Price got his 100th win in his NHL career in his 214th game. A few months later, he participated to his 3rd All-Star Game. However, the 2011–2012 season did not go well for the Canadiens, and they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2006–2007 season. Price missed the last 4 games of the season due to a concussion.

On July 2, 2012, Carey re-signed with the Montreal Canadiens, a six-year contract worth US$39 million.^[10]

During the lockout shortened 2012-13 NHL Season, Price started the year very well, winning 18 of his first 28 starts^[11] as the Canadiens, in stark contrast to the previous season, were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference going 29-14-5, good enough for second in the conference.^[12] Price's play however, dropped off in the final weeks of the season, going 2-6 and allowing 27 goals. Nonetheless, the Canadiens went into the playoffs against the 7th seeded Ottawa Senators. In Game 4, with the score tied 2-2 as the 3rd period came to an end, Price suffered a groin injury and did not return for the overtime period and was replaced by Peter Budaj, the Senators would go onto score and win the game. Price's injury sidelined him for the rest of the series and the Canadiens were eliminated in five games. Price ended the playoffs with a sub-par 3.26 GAA and an .894 save percentage.

Medal record
Competitor for  Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold	2007 Sweden
IIHF World U18 Championships
Silver	2005 Czech Republic
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Silver	2004 Newfoundland and Labrador

International play

Price made his international debut for Canada at the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championships in the Czech Republic. He appeared in four games, earning a silver medal as Team Canada was defeated by the United States 5–1 in the gold medal game. Two years later, in his final year of major junior, Price was named to Team Canada for the 2007 World Junior Championships in Sweden. He led Team Canada to a third consecutive gold medal and was named Tournament MVP and Top Goaltender after going 6-0 with 2 shutouts, a 1.14 GAA and .961 save percentage. He was also named to the Tournament All-Star Team along with teammates Jonathan Toews and Kris Letang. He led the 2005 IIHF world U18 Championships in save percentage and wins. Carey Price sold his U18 Championship helmet for charity.

Personal life

Price was raised in Anahim Lake, British Columbia with sister Kayla by parents Jerry and Lynda Price.^[13] His father, Jerry Price, was also a goaltender; he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the eighth round, 126th overall in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft.^[13] Although he never played in the NHL, he did play four seasons of pro hockey in various leagues^[14] and is currently the goaltending coach of the Tri-City Americans.^[15] His mother, Lynda, is the former chief of the Ulkatcho First Nation.^[13] Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan^[16] is a second cousin of Price. Price was named as an honorary co-chair at the 2010 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships that were held in Ottawa, Ontario in May 2010.^[17]

Price is married to Angela Webber, whom he met while playing in the juniors. In an interview, Angela said that the couple were set up on a blind date by Angela's friend, who was dating Price's roommate at the time.^[18] They reside in Kelowna during the offseason. Price and Webber were married August 24, 2013 in Washington, the day after, Price flew to Calgary for Hockey Canada's Olympic orientation camp for the 2014 Winter Olympics.^[19]

Awards

• Named to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2007.
• Won the Del Wilson Trophy (WHL Top Goaltender) in 2007.
• Won the CHL Goaltender of the Year Award in 2007.
• Won the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2007.
• Won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (Calder Cup MVP) in 2007.
• Won the overall Molson Cup in 2008-09
• Won the overall Molson Cup in 2010-11
• Won the overall Molson Cup in 2011-12
• Won the overall Molson Cup in 2013
• Named NHL Rookie of the Month in March 2008.
• Named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2008.
• Named to the NHL All-Star Game in 2009 (starter).
• Named to the NHL YoungStars Game in 2009
• Named to the NHL All-Star Game in 2011.
• Named to the NHL All-Star Game in 2012.
• Named to the Canadian National Men's Ice Hockey Team at the XXII Olympic Winter Games on January 7, 2014.

Career statistics

Regular season

Bolded numbers indicate league leader.

Playoffs

International

References

External links

• Carey Price biography at The Goaltender Home Page - advanced statistics and game logs
• "Price Steals the Show for Canada" by Bill Meltzer—NHL.com December 2, 2007
• "Carey Price: Continuing the legacy" by Shane Malloy—NHL.com June 2, 2006
• Hockey Canada player profile
• Carey Price's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database