Image: The Athletic
The Montreal Canadiens announced on Thursday that goaltender Carey Price will be away from the team indefinitely after voluntarily joining the NHL and Players’ Association’s player assistance program.
GM Marc Bergevin told the media that Price will be away from the team for at least 30 days but acknowledged that it can be longer.
“Today, I’m not thinking about Carey Price the goaltender. I’m thinking about Carey Price the human being,” Bergevin, who learned about the news on Wednesday, said in French via Sportsnet.
“I salute them and I’m glad they did,” he added on Price and center Jonathan Drouin having the courage to seek help.
“If there’s other players in the NHL who have different issues, whatever that is, I think the NHL and NHLPA are really looking at the well-being of their players and I commend them to do that. I think every general manager is very sensitive to that, and we are here in Montreal,” he said. “For [Drouin] and Carey and his family … I think we need to support them, we need to respect their privacy, and wish them the best.“
On an Instagram post, Price’s wife, Angela, 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.”
Price missed time in training camp already due to a non-COVID-19 related illness.
The Canadiens will open the regular season at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
By Harrison Brown
