After the Montreal Canadiens announced Carey Price signing a six-year, $39 million contract extension Monday, the Habs goaltender had a chance to speak on his new deal.
“It’s an honour to come back, and have the confidence of the organization,” the 24-year-old netminder said. “Now it’s my job to show them that they were right.”
Price’s new six-year deal will see him at the peak goaltending age of 30, when it expires. “We thought it might be two years, and then I would be a UFA, but this gives me a lot of security.
“This way I can focus on the Stanley Cup, and not worry about re-signing every other year,” he added. “I’m hoping by then I have a couple Stanley Cups when I negotiate when I’m 30.”
Negotiations for the new deal went easily according to Price, who understood the Canadiens electing to go to arbitration was a formality.
“I understood the reason behind it, and my agent explained that only 30-40 percent of players actually go to arbitration,” Price said. “so I wasn’t too concerned about it.
“It was pretty smooth. We were confident following the season, that things would get done rather quickly in the summer. There wasn’t too much of a difference between this contract and the last, I just let my agent do his work.”
Price has been spending time with his family, most recently at the Calgay Stampede, and will be returning to Kelowna/Williams Lake shortly. At the same time he been monitoring the new organizational changes in the off season.
“It’s been an interesting summer to watch, not just with the changes up top, but with the new players,” he said. “I know Bou (Francis Bouillon) pretty well and he was always solid in front of me. Colby Armstrong will certainly bring a lot of grit for us. “It’s been pretty cool. I’m already excited to get the season started.”
Even with the addition of the new Canadiens, including Brandon Prust, Price noted that it will be nice to see the same group of players around, Eleven of Price’s teammates are under contract for the next two seasons, which is important to the young goalie for team bonding and working together.
Once back in British Columbia, Price plans to resume training and hit the ice next week for the first time since being pulled at season’s ends due to concussion symptoms.
