The Montreal Canadiens welcomed Carey Price back to the Bell Centre with a memorable, spine-tingling ovation Tuesday night.
Canadiens fans cheered for close to four minutes during an on-ice ceremony, wildly serenading their longtime star goaltender with a blend of “Ca-rey! Ca-rey!” and “Olé, Olé” chants ahead of puck drop against the Minnesota Wild.
Price, meanwhile, stood beside the team benches, next to the five individual trophies he won over his illustrious career, as he attempted to get a word in.
“From the bottom of my heart, the most sincere ‘Merci beaucoup’,” Price told the crowd, his voice trembling.
Price spent his entire 15-year NHL career in Montreal after the Canadiens selected him fifth overall in the 2005 draft, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader with 361 wins. (Christopher Katsarov/ The Canadian Press)
Canadiens rookie goalie Jacob Fowler has been compared to Price thanks to his stoic, panic-free play style. Price himself has said Fowler is the goalie who reminds him most of himself.
The Canadiens ultimately lost 2-1 in overtime to the Wild, but Fowler made 22 saves in a fitting goalie duel against Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt.
“One of the greatest goalies to ever play,” Fowler said of Price after the game.
“It was crazy just to see the support of the fans. I didn’t think the game was ever going to start after the ovation was going,” he said.
“We were joking around about it that we didn’t know how long it was gonna go. Just a really special moment and super emotional.”
Growing up, Price’s father, Jerry, flew his son in a four-seat plane 320 kilometres from their hometown to Williams Lake, B.C., three times a week so he could play minor hockey. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Following team tradition, the Canadiens added Price to their ring of honour after his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday in Toronto.
Price, 39, became the 62nd member of the Canadiens organization to enter the Hall of Fame, capping a remarkable journey that began in the remote community of Anahim Lake, B.C.
Growing up, Price’s father, Jerry, flew his son in a four-seat plane 320 kilometres from their hometown to Williams Lake, B.C., three times a week so he could play minor hockey.
Price went on to spend his entire 15-year NHL career in Montreal after the Canadiens selected him fifth overall in the 2005 draft, becoming the franchise’s all-time leader with 361 wins. He finished with a .917 save percentage, a 2.51 goals-against average and 49 shutouts in 712 regular-season games.
“It’s special,” said Price, a member of the Ulkatcho First Nation, said before the game.
“I was able to be a part of many ceremonies here, and obviously the rich culture of this franchise speaks for itself. I’m just honoured to add another chapter to it.”
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One of the greatest goaltenders of his generation, Price became known for his exceptional positioning, unflappable demeanour and stylish windmill glove saves.
He backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in 2014, then won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender in 2015—posting an eye-popping .933 save percentage and 1.96 goals-against average across 66 games.
But Price never won a Stanley Cup, spending much of his career carrying Canadiens teams that lacked offensive firepower and elevating them above their expectations. Alex Kovalev’s 84 points in 2007-08—Price’s rookie season—were the most by a Montreal player during his career.
Price came closest to hoisting hockey’s holy grail in 2021, when he led an underdog Canadiens team to the Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning with COVID-19 restrictions still in full swing.
He would suit up just five more times as a degenerative right knee injury cut his career short, with his final appearance coming in a 10-2 victory over Florida at the Bell Centre on April 29, 2022.
At the time, Canadiens fans didn’t know for certain that game would be his last.
“When you end your career, there’s a picture of riding off into the sunset, and I didn’t feel like it happened, but I felt the love regardless,” Price said.
“I had time to reflect on everything a little bit over this time, and it made me even more thankful for everything.”
Price singled out the night the Canadiens raised his idol Patrick Roy’s No. 33, on Nov. 22, 2008, as a memory that came to mind when he walked into the Bell Centre on Tuesday. (The Canadian Press)
The Canadiens displayed a mosaic of Price’s greatest moments outside their dressing room, where his portrait now hangs above the stalls alongside every other member of the team’s ring of honour.
“He’s always been up there in my mind,” said Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, Price’s teammate from 2021 to 2022. “Another legend of the game that called Montreal home.”
“To be able to see the fans and have someone come back and (get) all the recognition that they deserve is really special. And to do it in this building, in this city, is unbelievable,” he said.
So what did the soft-spoken goalie think when he saw his picture inside the dressing room?
“I was just in there,” he said. “I was so nervous to give a speech that I didn’t even look at it.”
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Whether or not Price’s No. 31 should hang in the Bell Centre rafters is often debated in the hockey-mad city.
While the decision might be obvious in most markets, the Canadiens’ 24 Stanley Cup titles have set a high bar, and even champions such as Jacques Lemaire and Steve Shutt have yet to have their numbers retired.
Price singled out the night the Canadiens raised his idol Patrick Roy’s No. 33, on Nov. 22, 2008, as a memory that came to mind when he walked into the Bell Centre on Tuesday.
Does he ever think of having his own moment like that?
“No, I’m just kind of taking things in one step at a time here. I’ve always been like that,” said Price, who now resides in Kelowna, B.C., with his wife, Angela, and their three children.
“I’m just thankful to be here tonight and be able to share this with everybody.”
