Carey Price - Playing Career

Playing Career

Before Price was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, he established himself as a top prospect playing with the Tri-City Americans beginning in 2002–03. Price was particularly strong during his draft year in 2004–05, posting 8-shutouts, a 2.34 goals against average (GAA) and a .920 save percentage. In his last year in the WHL, he was awarded the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL goaltender of the year and was named to the WHL First All-Star Team. He was also named CHL Goaltender of the Year.

Upon completing his award-winning season in the WHL, Price immediately began his professional career with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), having signed with the Canadiens in 2007 to a three-year entry-level contract. He joined the Bulldogs for the last three games of the regular season and the 2007 Calder Cup Playoffs, recording his first professional game and win on April 13, 2007 against the Grand Rapids Griffins. He was named the first star of the game upon stopping 27 of 28 shots. Price went on to lead the Bulldogs to a 15–6 playoff record and the 2007 Calder Cup championship, posting an impressive 2.06 GAA and .936 save percentage. In his first game of the Calder Cup finals, he stopped all 46 shots to post a shutout. He subsequently won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the Calder Cup playoffs MVP, making him the youngest player ever to receive the award.

He is the only goaltender in hockey history to be named CHL Goaltender of the Year, World Junior Championship's tournament MVP and win the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy all in the same year. He is also the only goaltender in hockey history to win the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy the same year as playing junior.

On October 1, 2007, Price was named to the Montreal Canadiens roster for the start of the 2007–08 season. He made his highly anticipated Canadiens debut on October 10, 2007, against the Pittsburgh Penguins and recorded 26 saves in a 3–2 win. After the first month of the season, he was awarded the Canadiens' Molson Cup for October, given to the player with the most first-star selections. Although re-assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs midway through the season in January, he was called back up shortly over a month later. With the trading of starting goaltender Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals before the trading deadline, Price assumed the starting role for the Canadiens. He was subsequently named the NHL Rookie of the Month for March and the NHL First Star of the Week (ending April 6, 2008) as the Canadiens finished first overall in the Eastern Conference and earned their first division title since 1991–92. Price completed the regular season leading all rookie goaltenders in wins (24), save percentage (.920), and shutouts (3).

Entering the playoffs against the Boston Bruins, Price recorded a 1–0 win on April 15, 2008, becoming the first Canadiens rookie to post a playoff shutout since Patrick Roy in 1986. He would go on to record another shutout in game seven to eliminate Boston. Montreal lost in the second round to the Philadelphia Flyers with Price losing 3 of the last 4 games.

After a strong start to the 2008–09 season, in which he earned a second Molson Cup in November, Price injured his ankle on December 30, 2008. Forced out of action for nearly a month, during which he was voted in as a starting goalie for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal (along with teammates Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek) he made his return to action on January 20, 2009 after backup Jaroslav Halak was pulled in a 4–2 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers. Going into the 2009 playoffs as the eighth and final seed, the Canadiens played the Boston Bruins in the opening round for the second consecutive season. They were swept in four games, with the Bruins scoring at least four times in each game. In the final game at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Price surrendered four goals in two periods. After stopping a weak dump-in, the crowd cheered sarcastically and Price responded by putting his arms up in the air, similar to Patrick Roy's gesture on December 2, 1995, in a game after which Roy requested a trade from the Canadiens.

Price struggled throughout the 2009-10 season, winning only 13 games and losing the starting job to Halak as the Canadiens entered the playoffs as the eighth and final seed. Although the Canadiens made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference final, upsetting both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins along the way, Price appeared in only four games, losing one and getting no decision in each of the others, only coming off the bench when the game was out of hand. The highlight of the season for Price was stopping 37 of 38 shots in a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins in the Canadiens 100 year anniversary game on December 4, 2009, and the low point was surrendering four goals in his only start of the playoffs. In the summer of 2010, both Price and Halák became restricted free agents and a goaltending debate emerged in Montreal over who would remain with the team, the playoff hero Halak, or the younger Price. After weeks of media speculation, the Canadiens chose Price, trading Halak to the St. Louis Blues and re-signing Price to a two year, $5.5 million contract to return to his role as starting goaltender. The 2010-2011 NHL pre-season was a tough start for Price. However during the 2010-11 NHL Season, Price played in 72 games recording new career highs including 38 wins, 8 shutouts, a 2.35 goals against average, and a .923 save percentage. This play from Price allowed the Montreal Canadiens to enter the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. This strong play continued for Price in the playoffs posting a .935 save percentage, however it was not enough to lead the Canadiens to victory as they fell in seven games in the first round to the Boston Bruins.On October 26 2011,Price gets his 100th win in his NHL career in his 214th game.A few months later,he participated to his 3rd All-Star Game.But during the 2011-2012 season,things didn't go so well because the Canadiens missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2006-2007 season and Price missed the last 4 games of the season due to a concussion.

On July 2, 2012, Carey re-signed with the Montreal Canadiens, a six-year contract worth $39 million dollars.