NHL analyst dismisses Carey Price's jersey retirement case for lack of honors
On Friday, NHL analyst Brian Wilde argued against the Montreal Canadiens retiring Carey Price’s No. 31 jersey. Appearing on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, Wilde dismissed Price's worthiness for the honor of jersey retirement due to his lack of silverware.
[17:34] "I think the standard of the Canadiens is cups or many, many years of trophies, and he has only one of each and no cups." Brian Wilde said, "And that's simply, for me, not enough."
Carey Price was drafted by the Canadiens in 2005 and quickly became a standout player. He played 712 NHL games, the second-most ever for any goalie who played for one team. Price has 361 regular-season wins (the most in Habs franchise history), 49 shutouts, a 2.51 goals-against average, and a .917 save percentage.
While Price didn't win the Stanley Cup, he did win gold for Canada in the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
He also won the Hart Trophy, which is given to the MVP in the NHL regular season, in 2015. He is the only goalie to win the award in the last 22 years.
Carey Price talks about missing hockey
On July 16, Carey Price shared that he misses playing hockey in an interview published by Arpon Basu of The Athletic. However, he doubts he’ll play as a goalie again due to knee issues.
“I actually do miss playing the game. I miss playing hockey,” Price told Arpon Basu. “I’m kind of hoping one day I could go out and maybe score a goal or two."
"Playing goal again is pretty unlikely with the torque it takes on my knee. Even when I’m out skating with my kids on the outdoor rink, I can still feel in my knee that it’s pretty shifty compared to my other side. But I’m hoping one day I might be able to go putt around and hit a few goalies in the head.” Price added.
Price currently hasn't officially retired. But he last played on April 29, 2022, against the Florida Panthers at Bell Centre. He secured a 10-2 win for the Montreal Canadiens.
Habs legend Ken Dryden talks about Carey Price
Ken Dryden, former Canadiens goalie, supports Carey Price's Hall of Fame case. Dryden called Price a "very, very good goaltender." Price's potential retirement has sparked debate about retiring his No. 31 jersey and his Hall of Fame induction.
"I think the answer is pretty clear." Dryden said on Price's jersey retirement.
Dryden, a six-time Stanley Cup winner, waited 24 years for his own jersey retirement. Fans hope Price is honored more quickly if it happens.