Should Carey Price’s number be retired?

[HuGo Burner Acc]

I wouldn’t take anything Dryden says seriously. I’ve never seen someone love to talk without actually saying anything as much as him. I think he’s just being nice because 5 Cups in 7 years makes it a no contest. And 1971 throws out the “team” accomplishment argument out the window.

Besides 71 and 93 for Dryden and Roy, price probably outperforms them if given any team they were on. I'm a Yankees fan. Aaron judge is clearly a better player than Derek Jeter was. But Jeter has all the rings and judge doesn't. But if judge continues to do what he's doing even with the yankees history (which rivals the Habs), I just don't see how you don't retire his number 99.

I think Price meant more to the era he was in than Dryden did for his. It would also be weird if Price gets into the hockey Hall of Fame 1st ballot and everyone recognizes him as top 10 all time most proficient but the Habs are like, "nah you just don't cut it Carey"

 

[Mrb1p]

I don't understand why they set the bar at Lapointe level. Carbonneau, Damphousse, Koivu, Markov, Subban, (+ a bunch of others) could all enter the discussion as comparables. Some have cups. Before Lapointe, a Cup and a Connie-Smythe was pretty much the standard for post-expansion players.

Setting such a parameter that is so uneven between era shouldn't be something anyway. A cup in the 70s shouldn't be worth a modern cup, it's not the same at all.

 

[le_sean]

I don't understand why they set the bar at Lapointe level. Carbonneau, Damphousse, Koivu, Markov, Subban, (+ a bunch of others) could all enter the discussion as comparables. Some have cups. Before Lapointe, a Cup and a Connie-Smythe was pretty much the standard for post-expansion players.

I assume it was because Robinson and Savard were no-brainers, but everytime someone mentions that team, it was the “Big 3” on defence. So by default he was always lumped in with the other two.

 

[BLONG7]

I wouldn’t put a ton of stock into old players saying player “x” is better than they were.

How many times has Gretzky came out here and said similar stuff?

They’re just trying to be humble.

They also know, how good today's athletes are, compared to back in the day.
It's a double edged sword for sure...

 

[GrandBison]

Setting such a parameter that is so uneven between era shouldn't be something anyway. A cup in the 70s shouldn't be worth a modern cup, it's not the same at all.

My point was about Lapointe the only one not having a Connie-Smtyhe from that era. I voted no for Price, but it's not a hard NO. I'm only dreaming of a future dynasty with some real achievements to celebrate.

 

[Mrb1p]

My point was about Lapointe the only one not having a Connie-Smtyhe from that era. I voted no for Price, but it's not a hard NO. I'm only dreaming of a future dynasty with some real achievements to celebrate.

Why should that future dynasty dimish what Price did ? What if they win two-three cups but they're winning it as the Saint-Louis Blues of 2019? No players on this team were ever close to as good as Price but yet they won. It's a team accomplishment to win a cup, to get your jersey retired is an individual one.

 

[Le Tricolore]

He's not only one of the best goalies to play for the Habs, but he's one of the best players to play for the Habs. Price transcends position as a great, it's crazy how out of touch the average fan is to his greatness.

Agreed. What's funny is if the team wins three more games and win the Cup vs Tampa, I'm sure the voting would be way different. The team averaged less than 2 goals a game in that series. Not sure how that's Price's fault.

But anyway, I'm confident that the team will honour Price the right way, and hopefully it's done sooner rather than later. He'll be in the Hall of Fame in a couple of years, so they can do it that same year.

 

[GrandBison]

Why should that future dynasty dimish what Price did ? What if they win two-three cups but they're winning it as the Saint-Louis Blues of 2019? No players on this team were ever close to as good as Price but yet they won. It's a team accomplishment to win a cup, to get your jersey retired is an individual one.

For me, great personnal achievements lead you to the HOF. For the rafters, it's about how you lead the team to success. But that's just my own definition and I don't care about a Vezina, a Norris trophy or a 60 goals season. It's all about the Stanley Cup.

Edit: But if it makes people happy to see Price number retired in few years, so be it.

 

[David Suzuki]

Carey Price was a better hockey player than 99% of the players in the rafter. He would rank around 5th or 6th if we don't circle jerk and ignore eras.

He was certainly a better goaltender than Dryden.

Second best goalie of all time after Hasek to me, he just never had his 2002 Red Wings moment so he won't get the recognition.

 

[CHwest]

Without Price the Habs would have been a terrible proposition. He is the only reason they were semi competitive. The down side to that is that the bin man got to keep his job about a thousand years to long.

 

[Mrb1p]

Second best goalie of all time after Hasek to me, he just never had his 2002 Red Wings moment so he won't get the recognition.

I agree. You can make the Roy argument and I wouldn't say much but just the fact we have a pretty solidly top 10 of all time goaltender and we're consider NOT retiring his number tells me this fanbase is out of wack.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Second best goalie of all time after Hasek to me, he just never had his 2002 Red Wings moment so he won't get the recognition.

The guy with one Vezina and Hart is 2nd all time to Hasek?

Ok, sure thing pal.

 

[Scintillating10]

If Subban had the longevity in Montreal, I wonder how things would have looked for him toward number retirement here. Probably falls short but a case maybe could have been made.

Of the players I grew up watching, I think only Koivu, Subban, Markov and Price have ring of honor credentials, and Price sits with the reasonable discussion with jersey retirement.

Subban last 4 years he was a fringe player. Several teams dumped him. No way I see him getting in.

 

[GrandBison]

Second best goalie of all time after Hasek to me, he just never had his 2002 Red Wings moment so he won't get the recognition.

He had a chance in 2021. He was good for the first three rounds but OK at best in finals. Maybe it would have taken more than Price to win, but it's not like he was shining neither.

 

[ReHabs]

Carey Price changed Montreal, I'm not sure there's a debate for you there.

I'd say he pretty clearly also changed hockey forever. He's on the same level as Boom-boom, Roy and Harvey as pioneer for his position. They don't look for the "Next Lundqvist" they look for the next Price. He is the blueprint to what a perfect goaltender should be and will be the template for generations.

As for the "joy", did you not follow the times he grabbed this team, this basement dweller of a team, I should say and took us within less than 6 wins, twice ?

Winning brings joy. Coming short does not bring joy. We got pummelled and shaken around like a pitbull's chew toy in the SCF and Price was rather pedestrian in that series to boot. No joy.

Price was technically as good as you can ask for, a true talent. We were lucky to have him. We don't need to claim he "changed Montreal" -- why even make such a statement?

Ridiculously high standards and ridiculously unfair standards you're applying. What happens if McDavid never wins a cup ? He doesn't get his jersey retired ?

Edmonton has their own franchise and their own business.

2014-2017 he was clearly the best player on the planet. Crosby even said so himself, multiple times. It was clearly seen in the olympics, he was the engine that stirred the drink to what was potentially the best olympic hockey team of all-time.

On a stacked Team Canada that Chris Kuntiz rode shotgun? I don't think that's an argument in favour of Price being the best player in the world. Any other top goalie - Luongo for instance - could've won it too.

2014-2017 is a ridiculously short "peak" for someone you claim was "the best player in hockey".

He's won ONE Vezina, ONE Jennings (which he shared with Crawford), ONE Hart, ONE Lindsay/Pearson.

Hellebuyck has won two Vezinas, Bobrovsky has won two, Thomas has won two... Brodeur has won four, Hasek SIX. Price has just one. It means he didn't stand out against his peers as much as Habs fans want to claim.

Quick has won two Jennings, Crawford has won two, Halak has won two... Brodeur has won five. Price just one.

McDavid, who you compared to Price, has won FOUR Lindsay/Pearson awards already, Crosby won three, Ovechkin won three. Price just one.

And the Hart, the best proxy indicator of individual greatness we have, McDavid has won it three times, Crosby has won it twice, Ovechkin was won it three times. Price just once.

Price was never and has never been the best player in hockey and his peak as the best goalie in hockey overlaps with many other top tier goalies who were on similar strength teams. Lundqvist, Rinne, Thomas, etc. I can't even name them all.

Yes, Lapointe was great and he earned his jersey retirement by being in the right place at the right time, an unfair and quite asinine way of going about things, lol.

I'm against Lapointe, Lach, Gainey, etc. having their numbers retired but what's done is done.

Those boys raised the Cup on St Cath's and brought eternal glory to the city, the fans, and the hockey club we love. If we think no one should wear their number again, out of respect for what they BROUGHT to us, I can live with it. Price fell short, not his fault but it isn't his credit either.

Price didn't even win a Conn Smythe, so you can't even say that in his favour.

He had a chance in 2021. He was good for the first three rounds but OK at best in finals. Maybe it would have taken more than Price to win, but it's not like he was shining neither.

He let in 13 goals in the first three games in the Stanley Cup Final. His sv% was around .850. He was lights out in the next two games but the hole was dug and overall he was bad in that series not even okay.

Not blaming him whatsoever -- he was injured and had carried us an incredible way and our team was not remotely a match against the Lightning -- but it's unnecessary to claim he was "OK" when he certainly wasn't and he even said so in the interviews.

 

[TRG]

I loved Price. But the threshold in Montreal is higher than anywhere else and it's fine. That's what makes the Canadiens special and that's what we're looking to go back to now. We always say it's not a team like the others so let's act like it.

Even Price said that we don't hang banners conference banners here.

 

[Habs]

if it helps my Price Young Guns PSA 10 in value I'm all for it. My Bob Gainey rookie psa 10 is not going up in value fast enough nor is my Ken Dryden

 

[le_sean]

Second best goalie of all time after Hasek to me, he just never had his 2002 Red Wings moment so he won't get the recognition.

No one actually cares about 2002 when it comes to Hasek. He has 2 Hart trophies and 6 Vezinas. 2002 is just a notch on his belt. And those individual accolades were all with inferior teams to the ones Price backstopped. There is a massive gulf between the two and there are several goalies inbetween.

 

[JianYang]

Price was the last Canadian goalie that held a special clout in the hockey world. His peers generally considered him as the best goalie of his time, and goalies coming up right behind him wanted to be him. Team Canada would call on him to be the guy on their best on best tournaments, and he delivered every single time in those settings.

I'm not sure sure if I'd retire his jersey yet because I think my conclusion would be too emotionally based right now, but I see alot of people glazing over his international career which should be part of the equation imo.

Team success is nice as a resume builder, but I'm not holding it against him that his top center was David Desharnais in his prime.

 

[Bombshell11]

Toxic? No concessions? You seem to be having your own private conversation. There's no wrong answer to this question and most of us debating it respectfully.

A guy presumed i was one of the people trashing him just because i pointed some stuff so if you say there's no toxicity around this subject i think you might be living in a bubble and i dont mean this in a negative way but more as an observation.

 

[Bombshell11]

Because theres none to make and it's ridiculous to be negative about such a great player. If you say the sky is orange you'll be met with the same results. Don't be blatantly wrong and you won't be called wrong.

So you're saying he had a perfect run from the moment he was drafted to 2021?

 

[jaffy27]

100% no, great goalie, loved him and have his jersey but it takes a lot more then that to have your number retired.

Team championships led by greatness deserve a team jersey hanging in the rafters…..this did not happen.

Honour him another way.

 

[Hins77]

No, and this is not because Price Himself. In my mind. Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, Patrick Roy, Larry Robinson deserved that kind of retirement jersey. I don’t know, but now it seems everybody may enter in that group. If price, why not Markov?

 

[JianYang]

No, and this is not because Price Himself. In my mind. Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, Patrick Roy, Larry Robinson deserved that kind of retirement jersey. I don’t know, but now it seems everybody may enter in that group. If price, why not Markov?

One commonality that I think all retired montreal jerseys share is that they are all hall of famers too. That doesn't mean every hall of famer will get their jersey retired but I do think of it as a prerequisite for being considered.

Markov is not a Hall of famer, and he won't be going into the hall of fame either. Price likely will, so there's your answer.

 

[ahmedou]

Let me ask him this question.

And I'll come back to you with his answer!