The Montreal Canadiens had an eventful offseason, to say the least. While their best move was undoubtedly acquiring Noah Dobson, their final trade in moving Carey Price’s contract to San Jose may have been the most emotional.
A few years ago, Price was part of a Canadiens roster that was three games away from clinching their first Stanley Cup in nearly 20 years. But four years down the line, the goaltender is unofficially retired. Let’s take a look at why it happened.
Why Was Carey Price Forced To Retire From Hockey Unofficially?
Despite being part of the Canadiens roster for the last seven seasons, Price hasn’t played an official game for Montreal since April 2022. While the goalie underwent surgery the previous summer for a torn meniscus, he was limited to just five games in his last season.
During the surgery, it was found that Price’s right knee was left completely bone on bone, with the supporting cartilage completely torn off due to continuous wear and tear. While specialists suggested an additional procedure, Price decided against it.
The lack of a guaranteed solution, along with a long rehabilitation time, forced Price to return to practice with just the primary procedure being done. But despite his best attempts, Price was unable to continue for the rest of the season.
The Canadiens were forced to put him on LTIR for the 2021-22 season. The goalie had remained there for the past three seasons until the Sharks agreed to a trade with the Canadiens on September 5.
With a $5.5 million bonus paid by Montreal in September this year, San Jose had to pay just the remaining $2 million, while the Canadiens now have $4.56 million in cap space available with Price off their books.
This is even more heartbreaking considering that Price was just three games away from securing Canada’s first Stanley Cup since Montreal last lifted the trophy in 1993.
The Canadiens had a strong run into the 2021 Finals. But they were ultimately beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who took the series 4-1 after defeating them in Game 5.
However, while Price hasn’t officially announced his retirement, the goalie has mentioned that the rigors of playing in the NHL and being away from his family for extended periods forced him to step away from the game.
In an interview with the NHL, he mentioned, “I would have loved to have played a game on the international stage in Montreal.” Price continued, “I always wore the Canadian colors with great pride. A game at Bell Centre with my Canadian teammates would have been the memory of a lifetime.”
But Price also admitted that while he loved playing hockey and being a part of Team Canada, he also didn’t like being on his knees 200 times during a single practice. Even after nearly missing the last four years of his career, he remains the winningest goalie for the Canadiens.
In 15 seasons with the Canadiens, Price had a record of 43-45 with a 2.39 GAA, a .919 save percentage, and eight shutouts in 92 Stanley Cup Playoff games (89 starts). During this time, he also picked up a Vezina Trophy and the Hart Trophy in the 2014-15 season.
While Price could not secure a Stanley Cup in his career, he will end his time with the NHL as one of the best goalies for the franchise.
