Canadiens’ Carey Price enters NHL’s player assistance program
Posted October 7, 2021 8:02 am.
Last Updated October 7, 2021 9:25 pm.
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will be away from the team indefinitely after voluntarily entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.
His wife, Angela, took to Instagram to share some details Thursday, alluding that her husband has been struggling with his mental health.
“Part of the privilege of being in the position our family is in, is that we also get a public platform to show how there is and can be a path to light for anyone who is struggling,” Angela Price wrote.
“No matter what is on the line, we hope we can communicate the importance of putting your mental health first not just by saying it, but by showing up and doing the work to get better. Carey’s showing up for himself and our family and making the absolute best decision possible for us,” she continued.
“I will continue to show up for him and our kids and seek out the support that I may need on any given day. And it’s incredibly important to us to show our kids that asking for help, and letting yourself be supported by others is not just ok, but encouraged — anytime, and under any circumstance.”
Price, who is originally from Anahim Lake, B.C., had been away from the team in recent days dealing with what the team called a non-COVID-illness. He was already expected to miss the start of the season as a result.
Montreal GM: ‘I salute them’
“Today I’m not thinking about Carey Price the goaltender, I’m thinking about Carey Price the human being,” Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin said Thursday.
He was visibly emotional when he was asked how he was dealing with the Price news, with the reporter asking the GM to describe Price “the human” and their relationship over the past several years.
“It’s hard,” Bergevin said.
He tells reporters he is proud of Price, as well as Jonathan Drouin, for seeking help.
“I salute them and I’m glad they did,” Bergevin said, encouraging others to ask for assistance if they need.
"I salute them and I'm glad they did."–Marc Bergevin on Jonathan Drouin and Carey Price having them courage to seek help.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) October 7, 2021
Bergevin vowed support for the families, and that “better days” are ahead for them all.
He notes more players are willing to seek help now than they were in the past, adding the stigma appears to be easing not just in the NHL but across all pro sports leagues.
“I think every general manager, every ownership wants guys to come out if they need help,” he explained, adding, “your hockey career lasts so many years, but you have the rest of your life, your kids, your family — that’s the most important thing.”
Bergevin admits the news caught him off guard.
“To be up front with you, the news came to me yesterday,” he told reporters Thursday, adding the team was looped in Thursday morning.
He says while he is a very important player, he’s also a teammate, adding the news has affected the players, though they remain professionals.
WATCH LIVE: Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin speaks to media after Carey Price voluntarily enters the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.https://t.co/FP2xPE0vOH
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 7, 2021
Price will be away for at least 30 days, however, Bergevin says it could be longer.
He adds he’s confident Price will be back this year.
The Canadiens claimed goaltender Sam Montembeault off waivers from the Panthers earlier this week and he is the leading candidate to start the season as Jake Allen’s back up.
