Carey Price Speaks on His NHL Return, His Future and Losing in the Stanley cup Final

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S. Harper
April 19, 2022 (11:01)

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It`s been a couple days since the special moment when the winningest goaltender in Montreal Canadiens history Carey Price made his NHL return. Sportsnet's Hockey insider Elliote Friedman described it best "You don't have to be a Montreal Canadiens fan to know the NHL is better with Carey Price."

Price made his much-anticipated return to the Montreal Canadiens' crease Friday night, and while he said Monday he's feeling «pretty good» following his season debut it's not clear how many more games he'll appear in during the Canadiens final 6 games this season. Unfortunately for Price and the Canadiens it's been a bad year in Montreal with the Canadiens are sitting 31st in the NHL.

Habs head coach Martin St Louis said, "Carey Price he'll be assessed on a game-by-game basis to final the year."

«I haven't seen a lot of reps in games and I still feel like my conditioning level could increase,»

«It's all going to be how I feel the next day, It's nice to get back into game action, and even when I wasn't playing, being on the bench and taking in the game from ice-level. I thought I had a good practice again today and getting ready for tomorrow,» he explained, also joking that it was nice to return to the game-day ritual of a good pre-game meal and a nap."

Carey made 19 saves Friday night vs the New York Islanders giving up 2 goals.

Price said he heard from a few former teammates and peers following his return Friday, including Tomas Plekanec and Sidney Crosby.

«Crosby said, �It's good to see you out there again.' So I was pleasantly surprised not really surprised, but happy to see a text from him,»

Carey Price had knee surgery to fix his chronic knee issues he's had since being run by New York Rangers Chris Kreider during the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals. Price then checked himself in a NHLPA Substance abuse program 1 week before the opening day of the regular season.

Price has been trying to return to the Canadiens lineup since November but unfortunately has had set backs with his knee rehabilitation as well as a Covid like Illness back in March.

Friday was his first game between the pipes since Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Canadiens' remarkable playoff run ended with the Tampa Bay Lighting hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second straight year.

The loss, explained Price, is something he's still digesting.

"I think that's something that, even today, it's still hard to kind of comprehend, you know, coming so close,» he said. "I think any team that has ever gotten to that point will say that it's probably taken years to get over that, unless you get the opportunity right away. And not having had that opportunity for, you know, 14 years and then getting it and getting so close and yet being so far away, it's something that I'm still getting over. You know, it definitely feels like a chance lost, still."

Price said the past year has been a time of many challenges and a lot of reflection for Price and the Canadiens.

"There's definitely been a lot of time for self-reflection on a personal level and as a professional. I would say it's really been definitely a trying time. It's been positive at the end of the day because I've been able to handle those experiences and come out on top of them."

Shifting the focus to the more immediate future, Price said it's «unlikely» he'd try to represent Canada at next month's IIHF Men's World Championship even though he'd like to suit up for the May tournament. �

"It's hard to make that call right now. I'm going to say it's unlikely, kind of given the way things have gone over the year,» he said. «It's something I would like to do. I've never had the opportunity to go to World Championships, and that's something that I've always wanted to do. But I don't know if right now is going to be the right time to go."

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/canadiens-carey-price-opens-up-about-cup-final-loss-playing-future/