Montreal Canadian goaltender Kerry Price, who has been sidelined with countless problems this season, will travel with the team to New Jersey and Toronto, but is not expected to play in any of these games and has not set a firm return date.
Price last played in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on July 7, and his long absence from the team began a few weeks after the series ended. At first, his absence was due to off-season knee surgery, but later it was extended to the beginning of the current season when he left for treatment for chronic problems with substance abuse.
When asked recently if Price would be eligible to play again, Canadian head coach Martin St. Louis said, “I have no idea, before adding” if you get a small sample of Kerry this year and get some exciting things. To him – whether it’s his game or how he feels after his game – I think Montreal Canadians will be in a better place. “
While a firm date for the game’s return to action remains unknown, there have been promising signs of progress in recent months. Price briefly started skating in late 2021 but then had to take a step back in his recovery, returning only to off-ice works until March when his on-ice work resumed. He has since taken part in a handful of Canadian exercises, although he was forced to take another break due to a non-covid-related illness.
Perhaps the most encouraging development came earlier this week, when Price returned to the ice on Monday to practice with the team. He stayed on the ice almost entirely in Montreal’s first drill – a small-area scrimmage between the two blue lines – and did most of the work for the rest of the next 50 minutes.
While he is unlikely to play on the road against New Jersey or Toronto, the Canadians will face the Winnipeg Jets back home on Monday, setting the stage for a possible return to the ice in front of the Bell Center faithful.
Without value, Canadians have struggled through a largely forgotten season on the ice, suffering from poor play and injury, resulting in overhaul of the front office. They are at the bottom of the NHL.