Montreal Canadiens fans everywhere have reason to celebrate, as Carey Price was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 9.

Nobody deserves it more. I certainly got a little teary-eyed when I heard the news.

But I’ll admit something: my relationship with Carey got off to a rocky start. A very rocky start.

It Wasn’t Love at First Sight

I remember watching the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, fully expecting the Canadiens to select high-scoring forward Gilbert Brulé with their fifth overall pick. We needed offence. What we didn’t need was a goalie. We already had José Théodore, a Vezina and Hart Trophy winner, as well as a laundry-list of netminders that could support him if need be.

So when Montreal called the name of Carey Price, goaltender for the Tri-City Americans, I was stunned. So was everyone else.

Clearly, it was a good thing I wasn’t making the draft decisions. Brulé’s career versus Price’s is all the evidence you need.

Price had an impressive rookie season in 2007-08, leading all rookie goaltenders with 24 wins, a .920 save percentage and three shutouts. He earned a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting.

I was warming up to him. Slowly, but surely.

Then came sophomore year.

Enter the Halák Controversy

Price started the 2008-09 season well, but an ankle injury sidelined him for a month. When he returned, something was off. His technique looked shaky, his confidence seemed rattled and his save percentage dropped to .905, which was considered to be below average back then.

Meanwhile, backup Jaroslav Halák was playing exceptionally well. And just like that, Montreal had a full-blown goalie controversy.

I was firmly on Team Halák. It probably didn’t hurt that he reminded me of an ex-boyfriend I was still pining for. Apparently, I have a type.

The Bell Centre crowd wasn’t particularly kind to Price either. Every other bad goal brought another round of boos, and things reached a particularly uncomfortable point during the 2009 playoffs against Boston.

In Game 4, Price had surrendered four goals. When he finally made a routine save, the crowd actually cheered. Price responded by sarcastically raising his arms in celebration.

I remember thinking it was incredibly unprofessional. In hindsight, perhaps the crowd hadn’t exactly been making his job any easier.

By 2009-10, I was fully aboard the Halák bandwagon. Watching him lead the eighth-seeded Canadiens past Washington and Pittsburgh and into the Eastern Conference final was magical.

I actually cried when Halák was traded. Not because I wanted Price gone but because I wanted both of them to stay. Was that too much to ask?

But with Halák gone, something changed. Price began winning me over.

The Rise of a Superstar

In 2010-11, Price played 72 games, tied for the league lead with 38 wins, recorded eight shutouts and posted an outstanding .923 save percentage. He was also named an NHL All-Star.

The Canadiens weren’t always particularly successful in the years that followed, but Price continued to establish himself as one of the league’s elite goaltenders. His performances earned him a place on Canada’s 2014 Olympic team in Sochi, where he was practically unbeatable.

Price went 5-0, posting a remarkable 0.59 goals-against average and .972 save percentage. He allowed just three goals throughout the tournament and was named the IIHF’s Best Goaltender.

Canada won gold. And I was officially a believer.

That same spring, Montreal reached the Eastern Conference final, only to fall to the New York Rangers. Unfortunately, the series also brought a devastating knee injury for Price, one that would eventually take a toll on his career.

But nothing could have prepared us for what came next.

The Season that Made Him a Legend

The 2014-15 season was the epitome of excellence.

Price put together arguably the most dominant individual season by a goaltender in the modern NHL era. With an offence that wasn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard, he routinely carried the Canadiens on his back.

He finished with 44 wins, breaking the franchise single-season record of 42 previously held by Hall of Famers Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden. He also captured the goaltending Triple Crown, leading the NHL in wins, goals-against average (1.96) and save percentage (.933).

Then came the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Price walked away with four major trophies in one night: the Vezina, Hart, Ted Lindsay and William M. Jennings awards. He remains the only goaltender in NHL history to win all four in the same season.

When I Truly Fell…

Price truly captured my heart in 2019, thanks to a couple of unforgettable moments with 11-year-old Anderson Whitehead, who had recently lost his mother to cancer.

Before she passed away, Anderson’s mother had promised she would do everything she could to help him meet his hockey hero. And Price made sure that promise became a reality.

Anderson got to meet Price at a Canadiens practice in Toronto, where the goaltender took time to sit with him, sign a collection of gear and give him a genuinely warm embrace. Later that year, Price surprised Anderson again at the NHL Awards, sharing another incredibly touching moment with him.

To this day, I can’t watch either video without completely losing it.

That’s the thing about Carey Price. He wasn’t just an extraordinary goaltender. He was someone who genuinely cared about people, especially the young fans who looked up to him. You could see it in those moments. It wasn’t for the cameras or the headlines. It was simply who he was.

And that’s when I knew I was all in.

One Last Magical Run

Fast-forward to 2021.

Nobody expected the Canadiens to make a serious playoff run, let alone reach the Stanley Cup final, but Price had other ideas. He was instrumental in dragging an underdog Montreal team all the way to the final, delivering one last magical chapter for Habs fans.

When the Canadiens eliminated Vegas in overtime to book their ticket to the final, I celebrated as though we’d already won the Stanley Cup. I may even have cried. I wanted that championship so badly for Price. And, admittedly, for myself.

It wasn’t to be, but that run was something special and I’ll never forget it.

The Man behind the Mask

Before the start of the 2021-22 season, Price announced that he was entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to address substance use issues. The news was shocking. The man we’d come to know as quiet, stoic and seemingly unflappable was struggling behind the scenes.

When Price shared his deeply personal statement about recognizing that he had neglected his mental health and needed help, my admiration for him grew even more.

It takes tremendous courage to speak openly about something so personal, particularly when you know an entire city is counting on you.

That was it. He had completely captured my heart.

Forever a Canadien

Price played just five more games for Montreal after that announcement. 

His NHL playing days may be behind him, and his contract may now belong to the San Jose Sharks, but as far as I’m concerned, he will always be a Hab. And I know he feels the same way.

He was more than a spectacular goaltender. He gave us unforgettable moments, incredible performances and memories that will last a lifetime. He represented Montreal with class, even when the city wasn’t always particularly kind to him.

From the kid I questioned on draft night to the man I cheered for through every playoff run, injury and setback, Carey Price earned every bit of this honour.

He belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside the legends who came before him.

Carey, from Habs fans everywhere, thank you.

Oh, and I’m sorry about the Gilbert Brulé thing.