Carey Price Nominated For The Masterton Trophy

Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price has been named a nominee for the 2022 Bill Masterton Trophy.

The trophy is awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.”

Price, 34, was unable to start a game until April 15 and due to multiple setbacks in a long and grueling rehab from offseason knee surgery. Unfortunately, after just four starts since returning, he was pulled out of the lineup Sunday and will miss the team’s penultimate game agains the New York Rangers in New York Wednesday while he rests, with what head coach Martin St. Louis believes is an injury not related to his surgically repaired knee.

“I mean I don’t think so, you’d have to talk to the medical staff on that but I think for us, we felt where the amount of games he’s played, give him a break without the travel and then hopefully get him ready for Friday,” St. Louis replied when asked Price had experienced this setback due to the knee he had surgery for last summer.

PHWA announces 2022 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nomineeshttps://t.co/43E3mdAWgE

— PHWA (@ThePHWA) April 25, 2022

While the Canadiens – who have now lost nine games straight – have certainly not been good in front of him, Price has struggled. He’s 0-4-0 with a 4.03 GAA and .853 save percentage, allowed six goals in two straight games and has let in 16 goals on 119 shots. When Carey Price returned to start in a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders on April 15 – and even more so when he stopped 28 of 30 Minnesota Wild shots in a 2-0 Montreal Canadiens loss – he did look somewhat like the Price that Montreal Canadiens fans have become accustomed to and fallen in love with for the last ten seasons, especially during the Habs’ improbable run to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final last summer. However, in his last two starts he has clearly not been himself.

After that run to the Stanley Cup Final last July, Price underwent the surgery on July 23 and began his rehab shortly thereafter. However, as he was nearing a return to the lineup in training camp, Price bravely checked himself into the NHL Player Assistance Program on October 7. Since leaving the program and rejoining the team on Nov. 9, it was a series of starts and stops for Price in his rehab and attempt to come back and play for the Montreal Canadiens this season didn’t come to fruition until April 15.