*This was originally published on Aug. 2021
For years, Carey Price’s peers have called him the Best Goaltender in the NHL. Even after he plays his last NHL game, one day, he will be on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
I want to help fans get to know the Canadiens starter better. Here are 7 great things about Price, one of the greatest players in franchise history.
#1: Carey Price Grew Up in Northern British Columbia, Far from Almost Everything
Price grew up in Anahim Lake, British Columbia. Like many Canadian boys and girls, Price made the trip early. When he was two years old, he was skiing in the river near his home. But, because there was no indoor arena or hockey program in Lake Anahim, when he was nine years old, he began walking back and forth to the nearby rink in Williams Lake.
Three times a week, the Price family drove 400 miles round trip (about 10 hours each way) so Carey could play. Fortunately, it helped that Price’s father was a pilot. When the weather cooled down, he flew a small plane for his son to practice.
2: Price’s father was a drafted goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers
Jerry Price, Carey’s father, was also a goalkeeper and was good enough to be drafted in the eighth round (126).th overall) in the 1978 NHL draft. The elder Price was a native of Alberta, whose selection came 27 years before the Canadiens made Carey their fifth-round pick in 2005.
Jerry commented: “I grew up a Habs fan in Western Canada. It is a great honor to see the names of all the legends who have played there. I was very happy to see him succeed in this city.”
#3: Price Met His Wife Playing Junior Hockey at Washington State
When the NHL regular season was suspended on March 12, Price and his family went to Kennewick, Washington, where his wife Angela’s family lives. Carey and Angela met while he was playing minor hockey with the Tri-City Americans.
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By the way, Price had to consider whether to play in the Canadiens series against the Pittsburgh Penguins because Angela is pregnant with their third child. The couple have two daughters: Liv was born in 2016 and Millie was born in 2018.
#4: Price Was Awarded the Jean Béliveau Medal for His Charitable Work
Carey and Angela are involved in several charities in Montreal and across Canada and he was awarded the 2013-14 Jean Béliveau Trophy for his extensive contributions to the Montreal community. When Price received the trophy, he admitted, “I think my wife deserves her name more than I do, and she is an inspiration for a lot of work.”
For each Canadiens home game, Prices is donating two tickets to an eligible student and their mentor as part of the “Stick to School” program created by Prices. Those tickets include meeting the goalkeeper.
When the Prices moved to Montreal in 2009, they were taught social work by Harvest Gionta (wife of former Canadiens captain Brian Gionta). As Angela noted, Harvest “had three children and always managed to find time to come to every fundraiser.”
#5: Price Made the 2014-15 NHL Postseason Award
Price had an incredible 2014-15 NHL season, winning four awards. Notably, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player over Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and John Tavares of the New York Islanders.
Price was also awarded the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed, and the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL’s top player as voted by the NHL Players Association.
#6: Price is Proud of His First Nations Heritage
Price is for Nuxalk and Southern Carrier Aboriginal heritage. His mother Lynda was the first woman elected to the board of directors of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.
Related: Price Wears His Native Heritage Proudly
When he received the Vezina medal, during his acceptance speech, he spoke to the youth of the United Nations about their future. His message: “I encourage the youth of the United Nations to be leaders in their communities. Be proud of your heritage, and don’t be discouraged by the impossible.”
#7: Price Works Charity Because You Have a Heart for Children
Price is the idol of young Anderson Whitehead, and his mother, Laura McKay, promised her only son that she would help him meet Price. Sadly, before she could fulfill that promise, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died in November 2018, at the age of 45.
After his mother’s death, Anderson’s aunt arranged for the 11-year-old Ontario boy to meet Price during a practice session in Toronto in February. Whitehead tearfully asked for an autograph and Price hugged him. The boy broke down in tears, and their shared moment went viral on social media.
Fans voted that exchange the NHL’s happiest moment of the 2019 season. As a result, Whitehead was called to the stage during the NHL Awards ceremony in Las Vegas. Initially, Anderson was told Price would not be there, however…
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