Carey Price Enters NHL Player Assistance Program, Out Min. 30 Days

The NHL and NHLPA announced today that Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will be away from the team while voluntarily taking part in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. It is not clear what the reasoning is for such a leave, but all we can hope is that all is ok and that he gets well as soon as possible.

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NHLPA/NHL media release regarding @CanadiensMTL goaltender Carey Price. https://t.co/orNdOYo8VH pic.twitter.com/jBeqXbvkVL

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 7, 2021

According to GM Marc Beregevin, he was caught off guard by the news yesterday when he heard about Price’s mental health concerns but said he’s proud of his player — and for Jonathan Drouin — for stepping forward and getting the help they need. Bergevin said it would be at least 30 days that Price is away from the team and could be more. That said, while he noted it “could be longer”, Bergevin also stated he’s confident Price will be back this year with the Canadiens.

Price is a highly-respected member of the NHL and has given back to so many in so many communities, charities and worthwhile causes. His wife did take to Instagram and note the importance of doing what’s needed when facing mental health issues. She said it was important they use their platform to share the struggle and show the importance of seeking assistance.

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A post shared by Angela Price (@byangelaprice)

If he’s looking for support and his family needs some support of some kind, let’s hope he finds it. The NHL is a better league with Price in it and mental health is no joke, especially with all that is going on in the world right now. It doesn’t matter what your status, how much money you make, these are the types of issues that can affect anyone and everyone.

Price was dealing with some offseason injury issues and it was believed he might miss most of preseason and part of the regular season. There’s no timetable on how long he’ll be away at this point, other than that the 30 days is likely a minimum. This was a busy offseason for Price, who was in the middle of NHL Expansion Draft-related drama as he was nearly selected by the Seattle Kraken but ultimately not taken because of questions surrounding his health.

Price has spent his entire 14-season NHL career with the Canadiens and has a career regular-season record of 360-257-79 with a .917 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. This past season, he posted a 13-9-0 record, a .924 save percentage, and a 2.28 goals-against average in the playoffs. He helped lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final, falling just short against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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