Carey Price Awaits Hall of Fame Call as Induction Day Approaches

As the Hockey Hall of Fame prepares to unveil its newest inductees, all eyes are on former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. The announcement, set for Monday, has fans wondering if Price will finally receive the call he missed last year when the selection committee chose Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Joe Thornton, Alexander Mogilny, Brianna Decker, and Jenniffer Botterill for induction, along with builders Daniele Sauvageau and Jack Parker.

Price, who has yet to officially announce his retirement, remains eligible for induction despite his contract expiring this season. The criteria for Hall eligibility require that a player has not participated in professional hockey for three years. Price’s last appearance in net for the Canadiens occurred on April 29, 2022, during a decisive 10-2 victory over a depleted Florida Panthers team.

The accolades in Price’s career speak volumes about his qualifications for the Hall. In the 2014-15 season, he captured every major trophy available, including the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender, the Hart Trophy for most valuable player, the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed, and the Ted Lindsay Award for outstanding player as voted by his peers. Later, in 2021-2022, he was honored with the Bill Masterton Trophy, recognizing his dedication and perseverance after overcoming personal challenges, including substance abuse, and battling through various injuries.

While Price’s career is impressive, the one mark against him is the inability to secure a 25th Stanley Cup for the Canadiens. However, this shortcoming was not due to his performance. Since the 2013-14 season, Price consistently delivered in the playoffs, achieving save percentages of .919, .920, .933, .936, and .924, alongside goals-against averages of 2.36, 2.23, 1.86, 1.78, and 2.28. He came agonizingly close in 2021, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the final. Had it not been for the infamous incident involving Chris Kreider crashing into him during the 2014 Conference Final against the New York Rangers, Price’s chances at a Cup could have been very different.

This year’s ballot includes several first-time eligible players, such as Boston Bruins legends Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, along with Stanley Cup Champions Phil Kessel and Eric Staal. Long-overdue names like Rod Brind’Amour, Vincent Damphousse, and Keith Tkachuk continue to await their turns. The official announcement of the new inductees will take place on Monday, June 22, at 3:00 PM ET. Fans will be eagerly watching to see if Carey Price makes the cut.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.