Price 'would have loved to have played' for Canada in 4 Nations Face-Off

MONTREAL -- Carey Price had just returned from his morning routine of driving his three young children to school in Kelowna, British Columbia. On this Friday morning at the end of February, Price sounds like a dad who's happy to be spending time at home, but hockey is never too far from his mind.

During an interview with NHL.com/fr in his role as spokesperson for Kraft Hockeyville, Price is infinitely chattier than he was after a game or practice during his 15 seasons as the goalie for the Montreal Canadiens from 2007-22.

"Yeah, I miss hockey," Price said. "I miss the games. I have such a competitive spirit. I liked the energy, the preparation and the routine of game day. But I don't really miss being on my knees 200 times during a single practice."

Price has not faced a shot since April 29, 2022. That night, he made 37 saves in a 10-2 win against the Florida Panthers. During this final game of the season, and potentially the final game of his illustrious career, Price made the most of his minutes by frequently saluting his wife and kids, who were sitting in the stands in the corner of Bell Centre, during commercial breaks.

Two weeks ago, the 37-year-old made his return to the arena where the fans so often chanted his name: "Carey! Carey! Carey!" Introduced to the crowd during Canada's 3-1 loss to the United States in the round-robin phase of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Feb. 15, Price said he felt a wave of nostalgia.

"Yeah, it was special to come back to Montreal," he said. "Between the autograph-signing session and the singing of the national anthems, I took a couple of seconds to take a look around me at Bell Centre. I wanted to take in the atmosphere.

"When you're playing, you often end up in more of a bubble and you particularly focus on the game. I found the crowd's energy to be simply wonderful. I'd say that at that exact moment, I missed hockey. I don't think it ever hit me as hard as it did that night for the U.S.-Canada game."

Hampered by numerous injuries and having refused to undergo a more invasive surgery on his right knee, Price is now in his third season away from a NHL locker room, although he has not officially announced his retirement from the sport. He is the winningest goalie in Canadiens history with 361 career victories, and is Montreal's all-time leader at the position in games played (712), starts (700), shots against (21,059) and saves (19,304). His 49 NHL shutouts ranks third in Canadiens annals behind Hall of Famers George Hainsworth (75) and Jacques Plante (58).

But he makes no secret of the fact he would have wanted to play alongside Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the rest of Team Canada, which ultimately won the championship at the 4 Nations Face-Off thanks to a McDavid goal in overtime against the United States.

"I would have loved to have played a game on the international stage in Montreal," Price said without hesitation. "I always wore the Canadian colors with great pride. A game at Bell Centre with my Canadian teammates would have been the memory of a lifetime. The stage for that game was huge. When you're no longer playing, you miss the energy and the nerves before a big game. It's an adrenaline rush.

"The combination of a game in Montreal with a Team Canada game, it made me feel a lot of emotions. But I was happy to participate as a fan. For my part, I always knew that my career would come to an end because of health reasons or because I was told I wasn't good enough anymore. I'd like to think that I finally stopped because my body just couldn't keep up anymore. I like that better. I'm still a proud athlete. I would've found it tough to find myself out of the NHL because I no longer had the talent to keep up."

In his new role of full-time dad, Price gets to see his children -- daughters Liv and Millie, and son Lincoln - grow up. They are now 8, 6, and 4 years old, respectively. During the championship game between Canada and the United States, as Price was jumping from his couch in reaction to Jordan Binnington's miraculous saves in overtime, young Lincoln asked to go outside and skate with his dad.

"I hope he won't be a goalie," Price said with a laugh. "If he ends up putting on the pads, I'll fire a few hard slap shots his way, just to get him to change his mind."

On a day-to-day basis, Price says he does not feel too many effects from his NHL career, all with the Canadiens.

"I'd say that it's generally pretty good," he said. "But I probably don't feel like a 37-year-old man. I'm spending good time with my kids, and I'm in good shape other than my knees, which are killing me. I don't have to travel all over the place anymore.

"I liked being on the road with my teammates, but when you've got a family, that becomes more important. You miss out on precious moments. Time goes by quickly. In the blink of an eye, my three kids will become teenagers and they won't want to spend time with their father anymore."

Next fall, Price has a strong chance of being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. If so, he'd follow in the footsteps of his good friend and former Montreal teammate, Shea Weber, who was inducted in 2024.

"Yeah, it's on my mind a bit," Price said. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not thinking about it. But I'm also thinking about all those players who had to wait their turn for a long time. It would be a tremendous honor if I could go into the Hall of Fame. But I'm staying practical. There are a lot of big names who still haven't received that honor. I watched Shea get in last autumn in Toronto and I thought that was an incredible moment."

The native of Anahim Lake, B.C., hasn't yet brought out the pen and paper as far as an eventual induction speech is concerned.

"I haven't started writing my speech," he said. "I'm more the type of person to do my homework at the last possible moment. I'll speak from the heart, but you know me, I'm a man of few words. You can expect a pretty short speech if I ever receive that honor. I'd make a heartfelt speech, but not too long. I'd think of a lot of people. But my father made so many sacrifices to give me the chance to play hockey. I realize that even more these days, now that it's my turn to be a father."

From the other side of the nation, Price continues to keep an eye on the Canadiens, who are in the hunt for a Stanley Cup Playoff berth.

"I’ve watched several games this season," he said, "but there have been times where the kids took control of the TV. I watch the third periods more often. I like the way the team's progressing. From the outside, I feel like the guys are having fun playing together. During a rebuild, you always need patience, but you also need goals. The team has taken some big steps forward. I watched overtime against the Sharks (a 4-3 win Feb. 27). I was cheering for (forward) Cole [Caufield] when he made that incredible move to score the game-winner."

Price, who was known for his calm and composed demeanor, is happy to point out current Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault displays the same trait.

"I quickly noticed that Sam knows how to stay calm when I played with him in my last season (2021-22). He has a positive energy. He's a bit of a happy-go-lucky guy. He smiles, he has fun, he works hard, and he doesn't let the distractions and the pressures of a big market get to him. That's the perfect attitude for surviving in a Canadian city."

Price said it was a logical decision to become an ambassador for Kraft Hockeyville. In 19 years, the program has raised $5.1 million towards the renovation of sports facilities across 101 different communities.

"I chose to act as spokesperson for Kraft Hockeyville since this program has such deep roots in our sport. I come from a small community, and I played my youth hockey with a small organization in Williams Lake. I'm sensitive towards those villages that wish to improve their facilities.

"For the communities that are far away from major areas, the local arena can make a huge difference. I had to put in some long hours on the road with my dad in order to pursue my passion. I was happy when I jumped on the ice. An arena is always good for the spirit of a community. It's important for kids to move around and to play sports, not just hockey. Children need sports for their physical health, but also for their mental health as well."