Carey Price has always been a man of few words, more comfortable behind the mask in front of his net than with his face in the spotlight. The former goaltender, however, appeared moved—with tears in his eyes—during a nearly four-minute standing ovation from Montreal Canadiens fans on Tuesday, before his matchup against the Minnesota Wild. Price took to the ice at the Bell Centre wearing his Hall of Fame jacket, which he received over the weekend when he was inducted in Toronto for his illustrious 15-season career with the Canadiens. “You gave me a home for 15 years. It was an honor to be your goalie,” Price told the crowd at the Bell Centre. “Thank you for the passion for hockey you’ve shown in this arena. That’s what makes this place so special,” he added. “From the bottom of my heart, I say the most sincere ‘Merci beaucoup,’” he concluded, uttering the last two words in French. Price became the 62nd member of the organization to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. His name was thus added to the Canadiens’ Ring of Honour high above the Bell Centre. A plaque bearing his likeness now hangs in the team’s locker room, next to Shea Weber’s. Weber was the one who introduced Price during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Monday in Toronto. Weber also unveiled the plaque honoring Price on the Ring of Honor at the Bell Centre on Tuesday. “That was probably the most special thing—being on stage yesterday with Shea and sharing that moment with him,” Price said Tuesday before the game against the Wild. “He’s my friend. We spent several years together, not only here but also training during the summer in Kelowna.” Weber and Price helped the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. Both played through injuries that ultimately forced them to retire. Price appeared in 712 games with the Habs, including 700 as a starter. He compiled a record of 361-261-79, with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. His 361 wins set a team record. The native of Anahim Lake, British Columbia, admitted that he still has a hard time realizing he is now among hockey’s immortals. “The whole weekend flew by, and even though I’m grateful, I can’t wait to stop being the center of attention,” Price said. The former goaltender said he now enjoys watching the Canadiens’ new generation, which reached the NHL semifinals last spring. “I remember what it’s like to be a young player here. You can feel their enthusiasm when they’re on the ice—how happy they are to be part of this organization and to play in this arena,” Price noted. When asked about the fact that the team scores much more than it did in his day, Price replied that he had enjoyed being part of a more defensive-minded team. He also had kind words for the team’s young goalies, Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes. Fowler, in fact, has often been compared to Price since the start of the season. “He (Fowler) certainly has that calmness,” Price said. “But I think both are solid goalies, and that’s a big plus for the organization. They have a similar approach and are very competitive. I wish them the best of luck.” Otherwise, Price said he feels good physically. He has, however, definitively turned the page on his hockey career, knowing full well that his body could no longer withstand the demands of a long NHL season. He was looking forward to going home and being able to recover from all the emotions of the past few days. “I’ll finally have time to process everything that’s happened and catch my breath. Maybe that’s when I’ll finally realize what just happened,” he concluded. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 10, 2026.
