Story Summary
Carey Price will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, and former Montreal Canadiens teammate P.K. Subban has offered a personal account of the goaltender’s stature on the ice and character away from it.
Subban and Price played 341 games together for the Canadiens, with Subban appearing in another 415 games in which Price was dressed as the backup. Their shared years in Montreal brought success, public attention and a recognisable post-win triple-low-five routine, but Subban’s assessment reaches further than those familiar images.
He describes Price as a game-breaker and difference-maker whose value to Montreal was central during the club’s most competitive seasons. For Subban, that impact, together with the respect Price earned across hockey, makes him an obvious Hall of Fame inductee.
The pair also shared significant moments beyond the Canadiens. Subban attended Price’s wedding in 2013 and his retirement party a decade later, while both represented Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where Price helped anchor the gold-medal-winning team.
Key Facts
- Carey Price is scheduled to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.
- P.K. Subban and Carey Price played 341 games together as Montreal Canadiens teammates.
- Subban also played 415 games in which Price dressed as Montreal’s backup goaltender.
- Price was selected fifth overall in the 2005 NHL Draft.
- Price helped Canada win Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games.
- Subban said Price was a major reason Montreal’s most competitive teams found success.
- Subban recalled Price’s intense competitive streak, including occasions when the goaltender broke his stick in frustration.
- Subban said Price treated trainers, players and people around Montreal with consistent kindness and respect.],
IHM Discussion
Subban’s tribute is valuable because it comes from a teammate who saw both sides of Price’s Montreal career at close range. He knew the public figure whose name filled the Bell Centre and whose every performance drew scrutiny, but he also knew the teammate behind the routine after victories and the composed exterior.
His central argument is that Price’s Hall of Fame case should not be limited to a list of awards or the absence of a Stanley Cup. Subban frames greatness around value: how much a player meant to his team when the stakes and demands were highest. That is an especially relevant lens for a goaltender, whose influence can shape the emotional as well as competitive rhythm of a club.
Montreal’s environment is a major part of Subban’s recollection. He says Price carried exceptional attention from early in his NHL career and continued to perform beneath it. Subban identifies with that experience, having arrived in the same market as another highly visible Canadiens star, but he makes clear that Price had already been living with that scrutiny.
There is also a revealing contrast in Subban’s description of Price. Supporters often saw the relaxed mannerisms, smile and shoulder shrug. Subban saw the edge underneath: a fiercely competitive player who could be visibly frustrated because he expected so much of himself. Those details give substance to the calm image rather than contradicting it.
Why It Matters
Price’s induction recognises more than an individual career; it also formalises his place in Canadiens history. Subban believes Price will remain the standard by which Montreal goaltenders are discussed for a long time, particularly because of the pressure attached to playing the position in that city.
For Price, the honour arrives with the opportunity to celebrate alongside his wife, children and wider family. Subban places genuine importance on that part of the occasion, describing Price as someone who has found balance in life after hockey while retaining the regard of peers.
The tribute also captures why teammates can provide a different measure of a player’s legacy. Statistics and honours record achievement, but the people who share a dressing room see the daily habits, emotional investment and treatment of others. Subban’s view is that Price’s standing rests on all of those elements.
Fan Pulse
For Canadiens supporters, Price remains linked to both spectacular performances and the burden of being the team’s most watched player. Subban’s memories of their triple-low-five handshake, Price’s competitive flashes and his steady manner around people in Montreal give fans a fuller picture of a goaltender who was a central figure in the city for years.
The Hall of Fame ceremony offers a chance to celebrate that connection without reducing his legacy to a single trophy or one defining postseason. Subban’s testimony instead points to the sustained importance Price held for teammates and supporters whenever he was in net.
Mini Q&A
When will Carey Price enter the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Carey Price is scheduled to be inducted on Monday.
How long did P.K. Subban and Carey Price play together in Montreal?
Subban and Price played 341 games together for the Canadiens, and Subban played another 415 games with Price dressed as the backup.
Coach Mark Comment
The broken-stick memories are a useful glimpse beneath Price’s unhurried public manner. Goaltenders often carry disappointment alone because there is nowhere to hide after a goal, and a teammate seeing that frustration confirms how much each result mattered to him.
What stands out is that Subban also remembers Price trying to contain it as a team leader. The fire was there, but it did not become the way he treated trainers, teammates or people around the club. That combination sits comfortably beside a Hall of Fame honour.
What Comes Next
Price’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction is scheduled for Monday. The ceremony will mark the formal conclusion of a career that Subban says combined elite performance, intense competitiveness and lasting respect from those around him.
IHM Final View
P.K. Subban’s account does not present Carey Price as an untouchable legend. It presents him as a hugely talented goaltender who met the demands of Montreal, cared deeply about winning and remained approachable through the attention that followed him.
That is a fitting perspective before his Hall of Fame induction. Price’s accomplishments established his place in the sport, while Subban’s memories explain why the recognition carries such personal weight for those who shared the ice and dressing room with him.