NEW YORK (AP) – Montreal Canadiens goalkeeper Carey Price has won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.
The league announces that Price is the winner of the Masterton on Friday night before the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals between defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers. Price backed the Canadians in the Stanley Cup final a year ago before losing to Tampa Bay.
Price did not play between the fifth game of the 2021 final in July and April with two weeks left for the 2021-22 regular season. After undergoing knee surgery last summer, he joined the NHL / NHL Players’ Association’s joint player assistance program in October and said that not long after that he was there to help with a problem. substances he developed.
“For the last few years I have let myself get into a very dark place and I did not have the tools to deal with this struggle,” Price said in a statement in November. “Things had gotten to a point where I realized I had to prioritize my health for both myself and my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our children to do. And that’s what I had to do. to do”.
Although Montreal was near the bottom of the league standings, Price returned to work and made his season debut on April 15. He played five games, losing his first four before making 37 saves in a 10-2 victory at the end of the Montreal season.
“It means everything to us,” striker Cole Caufield said of Price’s victory. “He is the backbone of our team, he is the guy you want to play with. Having him in the room every day was something special and you just feel the energy he brings no matter if he’s excited or not. “
The future of pricing is uncertain. It’s been 35 years since August, and with four years left on his contract for $ 31.25 million, there’s a real chance the British Columbia native will give up hockey.
Veterans Patrick Marleau and Zdeno Chara were the other finalists for the Masterton, according to members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Marleau announced his retirement last month after a 23-year career, and Chara could also hang up his skates at 45.