Canadiens G Carey Price says he has no plans to retire
It has been a devastating year plus for Carey Price. But his recent trials and tribulations haven't pushed him to hang up his pads just yet.
The Montreal Canadiens goalie spoke to the hockey press on Monday and -- much to the delight of hockey fans everywhere -- said he isn't currently looking to walk away from the game.
"I don't have a plan to retire at this moment," Price told the media on Monday. "Right now, my goal is to just be pain-free from day to day. "
The Habs announced at the end of the offseason that the 35-year-old netminder will likely miss the entire 2022-23 campaign because of a lingering knee issue. As much as Price clearly still wants to play, being pain-free in his everyday off-the-ice life is the current priority.
"I'm still having some issues getting up and down stairs," Price admitted. "Carrying my kids up and down stairs is difficult. So my priority is to get my body to a place where I'm pain-free in my day-to-day living. Hopefully."
Price admitted he is skeptical about getting surgery on his knee. The procedure would involve moving bone and cartilage from one part of his knee to the other.
"I went for a second opinion in Pittsburgh at the end of the season — that’s where I had my end-of-the-year second opinion, what my future held and what kind of a plan would be going forward. That’s when that surgery was suggested," Price said Monday, via SportsNet. "I was not particularly fond of such an intrusive surgery — in my opinion, it’s a little risky for my quality of life after, and it worries me a little bit."
Price has played just five games for Montreal since the team went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 because of the injured knee, which required surgery after his team's playoff run. Price was also put into the NHL's player assistance program and opened up about battling with substance abuse.
The Vancouver native still has four years left on his contract with the Canadiens.
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