The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most iconic franchises in hockey and hold the record for the most Stanley Cup wins. Montreal, an Original Six team, has had many legendary goalies, but Carey Price holds the record for the most wins in a Habs uniform - 361 games.
Price was the top goalie in the Western Hockey League and was highly rated in the draft. He debuted for the Canadiens in 2007 and quickly became their lead goalie, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team. Although he had some ups and downs in the next two seasons, Price led the NHL in wins (38) in the 2010-11 season and had his first sub-2.50 GAA year (2.35). He was fifth in Vezina and seventh in Hart voting, cementing his place as the star the Canadiens had hoped for when they drafted him.
Price continued to impress, earning top-ten Vezina Trophy finishes in 2012-13 (10th) and 2013-14 (4th). However, his 2014-15 season was nothing short of legendary, leading the NHL in wins (44), save percentage (.933), goals against average (1.96), and goalie point shares (16.2). He swept the awards, winning the Vezina, William M. Jennings, Hart, and Ted Lindsay Award. This came just a year after he helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Price suffered an MCL sprain the year after his monster campaign, limiting him to just 12 games. However, he bounced back with a third-place Vezina finish in 2016-17, where he had a 2.23 GAA over 62 games. He had another great year in 2019-20, anchoring Montreal to an improbable Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to Tampa Bay in the Finals. The fact that Montreal even made it there was a testament to Price's skills.
Sadly, that was likely the last great moment of Price's career. He faced personal and health issues afterward, and though he returned for five games in 2021-22, it was clear that his career was over. Price won the Bill Masterson Award that year, and he left the NHL, establishing his legacy as one of the greatest goalies of all time.
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