Cowan: Carey Price proved former Canadiens GM Bob Gainey right
The 2008-09 NHL season did not end well for the Canadiens or goalie Carey Price.
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The Canadiens were swept by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs with the 21-year-old Price — in his second NHL season — posting an 0-4 record with a 4.11 goals-against average and a .878 save percentage. The Canadiens lost Game 4 at the Bell Centre 4-1 with fans booing the team and Price. After the Bruins went up 4-1 midway through the second period, Price stopped the puck on a long dump-in and received mock cheers from fans. Price raised his arms and stick over his head, which only made the situation worse.
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The next day, Canadiens GM Bob Gainey — who had selected Price with the fifth overall pick at the 2005 NHL Draft — came to his young goalie's defence.
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'Carey Price is a thoroughbred,' Gainey said. 'I made a decision a year ago to put him in a position to gain experience. He got into a starting role at a very young age so he could accelerate the number of rich-experience games he could play. At 21, I think he's doing pretty darn well. Besides that, I think he plays pretty good. If I was playing against him, I would think: 'Man, that's a good goalie, look at him, at the way he plays.' '
The next season there were more growing pains for Price and he lost his starting job to Jaroslav Halak in the playoffs as the Canadiens advanced to the Eastern Conference final before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers. Less than a month after the Canadiens were eliminated, Gainey traded Halak to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz, basically handing the No. 1 job to Price, still convinced he was a 'thoroughbred.'
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Price and Gainey were back together Sunday at the Cummings Centre Sports Celebrity Dinner with Price the main attraction, honoured as the Sports Personality of the Year. The annual event (formerly a breakfast) has been held for more than two decades and has raised over $5 million to support mental health services for seniors at the Cummings Centre. Sunday's dinner raised a record $500,000.
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During a Q&A session, I had a chance to ask Gainey what sense of pride or satisfaction he takes now that Price did indeed turn out to be a thoroughbred who will probably be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year.
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'Well, it is nice to be right occasionally,' Gainey said with a grin. 'Because there were other situations where that was not the case.'
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Gainey said he knew Price was a thoroughbred while watching him lead the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs to the Calder Cup championship in 2007. In 22 playoff games with the Bulldogs, Price posted a 15-6 record with a 2.06 GAA and a .936 save percentage.
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