Carey Price has been one of the best goaltenders of the last decade, but have we seen the last of the Canadiens goalie? Not quite yet, according to Price.
The 35-year-old met with the media on Monday for the first time since he was placed on long-term injured reserve. He is not expected to play this season as he continues to deal with a knee injury that kept him out of most of last season, but he shot down the idea of retirement.
“We’ll have to take it step by step, but I don’t have a plan to retire at this moment,” Price said. “Right now, my goal is to just be pain free from day to day. I’m still having some issues going up and down stairs. First priority is to get my body to a place where I’m pain free.”
“I don’t have a plan to retire right at this moment. Right now my goal is to just be pain free from day-to-day.”
Carey Price shares how he has no current plans to retire. pic.twitter.com/uz9EBGmvGH
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 24, 2022
Price suited up for just five games in 2021-22. He was expected to miss the beginning of the season, however he entered into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in the fall, delaying his return.
There have been speculations of a retirement announcement from Price. Given his health concerns and his age, it’s understandable. You add the fact that the Canadiens elected to extend Jake Allen for two more years rather than trade him when he was highly sought after by other teams, and it appears that Montreal has a plan in place in case their previous starter can not return.
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However, Price will remain on the roster as he continues to rehab from his knee injury and the hope is that he will eventually wear the Montreal sweater again.
“There’s this outside hope of a miracle happening that I could maybe comeback and play at some point,” price said. “I’ve always been a bit of an optimist so I’m not giving up and definitely not giving up on winning a Stanley Cup in some aspect — whatever position that would be.”
Is Carey Price retiring?
While a lot of information has been vague regarding Price’s status going forward, one thing has been abundantly clear ahead of and during his media availability on Monday — Price is not retiring.
Price remained adamant that he was not going to call it quits just yet. His focus is getting back to being healthy on a day-to-day basis.
What is next for Carey Price?
Price’s immediate focus is on his knee. It still has not completely healed since he hurt it during the 2021 playoffs.
Surgery seems like the next logical step, but Price is skeptical. He has spoken to others that have gotten the same surgery that he would require, but his focus remains on rehabbing right now.
#Habs Carey Price says surgery is not something he’s contemplating at the moment so he’s just going to continue his rehab: “that surgery is a little worrisome for me”
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) October 24, 2022
Price says he’s spoken to people with a similar injury and that it could take a full year to heal, so he’s holding out hope. However, reluctant to have a surgery that would risk his quality of life.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) October 24, 2022
Carey Price career stats
While Price isn’t retiring, there is still a chance that he has already played in his final NHL game.
If the longtime Canadiens goalie cannot get healthy enough to suit up again, he’ll still finish his career with one of the more impressive resumes. His 361 wins are the 21st-most in NHL history and his 44 wins during the 2014-15 season are tied for the eighth-most all time in a single season.
Price is a seven-time All-Star, a Hart, Ted Lindsay and Vezina winner, an Olympic gold medalist, World Cup of Hockey gold medalist and Bill Masterton recipient. He appeared in one Stanley Cup Final as well.
| Games Played | Starts | Record | Win % | GAA | SV% | Shutouts | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 712 | 700 | 361-261-79 | .507 | 2.51 | .917 | 49 | 19,304 |
Carey Price contract details
While Price may not be able to play in the NHL again, he is still under contract until 2026.
Price has four years left on his deal, including this season. He carries a cap hit of $10.5 million.
With Price currently on long-term injured reserve, the Canadiens have some flexibility with the cap. With the goalie’s high cap hit on LTIR, it allows the organization to use his cap hit elsewhere.
| Year | Base Salary | Signing Bonus | Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | $1 million | $6.75 million | $10.5 million |
| 2023-24 | $2 million | $6.5 million | $10.5 million |
| 2024-25 | $2 million | $5.5 million | $10.5 million |
| 2025-26 | $2 million | $5.5 million | $10.5 million |
