Legendary Habs goalie Ken Dryden has his say on Carey Price's future Hockey Hall of Fame induction
Legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden recently weighed in on the future Hockey Hall of Fame eligibility of his successor between the pipes, Carey Price.
With Price likely to retire due to ongoing knee issues, the debate has reignited regarding whether his Nno. 31 will be retired by the Habs and whether he will earn a place in the Hall of Fame.
When asked by an RDS reporter about Price's Hall of Fame induction at the Serge Savard Invitation, Dryden offered a succinct but positive endorsement, saying it was not his decision to make but made his stance quite clear.
He reiterated that Price was a "very, very good goaltender," signaling his belief that the netminder's contributions warrant consideration.
As a six-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Famer himself, Dryden's perspective carries significance. However, he was made to wait over 24 years after retirement before the Canadiens retired his No. 29 jersey in 2007.
Fans certainly hope the franchise honors Price in a timelier manner, should that day come.
Fans react to Ken Dryden's comments on Carey Price's future Hockey Hall of Fame induction
Ken Dryden's comments about Carey Price's Hall of Fame chances sparked strong reactions from hockey fans online.
One fan questioned Dryden's comments:
"That response was to whether Price should be in the Hall of Fame. Or did he use the same response for both questions?.”
Another fan on the Hockey Hall of Fame induction said:
"As long as another player can wear that number. It's not like goalies have a lot of options."
Here are some more fan reactions on X/Twitter:
"Hot take. Price is a better goalie than Dryden. Price just didn’t have the best team of all time around him," one fan wrote.
"I think numbers should be honored but not retired. AS Roma wanted to retire Totti’s number 10. Totti’s said; No, because he doesn’t want to squash a young kid’s childhood dream, a dream he himself had as a child. I Would love to see the Habs classic numbers back on the ice," another fan said.
"He will but not till after he officially retires after collecting his LTIR for 2 more seasons," a user commented.
"One of the members of the Mount Rushmore for Habs goalies has spoken! Retire 31!" another user commented.
Carey Price's number won't be retired until his eight-year, $84 million contract (as per sportrac.com) ends in 2026.