Carey Price is back on the ice, but it's now what you may think.
He once joked about playing wing for Ryan Warsofsky's Sharks. Now the former Canadiens star is actually doing it in beer league hockey.
Price spent his entire NHL playing career in the crease with the Montreal Canadiens, but his post-NHL routine looks much different. He has swapped the goalie equipment for a regular player's stick and skates.
The former Montreal netminder reportedly takes part in Wednesday and Friday morning skates in Kelowna, British Columbia. He also plays in the Thursday Night Hockey League.
And Price isn't simply showing up to stand around the blue line. The man who built his reputation stopping pucks is now lining up as a forward.
That makes the setup even more unusual. The Kelowna recreational league features a mix of former NHL players, European pros and players with college hockey experience.
Price's switch also brings back a funny exchange from when the San Jose Sharks acquired his contract. He told general manager Mike Grier he had asked whether San Jose needed a left winger.
Grier's response was essentially that the Sharks probably didn't. Price laughed about the conversation, but his new hockey routine suggests the left-wing idea wasn't entirely a joke.
Carey Price finds a new spot on the ice
For Canadiens fans who watched Price control games from the crease for years, seeing him skate out is a major change. The mask and pads have been replaced by open ice and a completely different assignment.
His NHL playing days ended after knee problems and other health issues kept him from returning following the 2020-21 season. That difficult finish never erased what he accomplished in Montreal.
Price won the Vezina Trophy, Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award during his career. His resume eventually carried him into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Now the setting is smaller, the pressure is lighter and the role has changed completely. But Price is still getting on the ice regularly.
There's something fitting about that. After spending years carrying the expectations that came with being Montreal's starting goaltender, Price can now simply play.
And if Grier didn't have room for him on the Sharks' left side, Kelowna's beer league has apparently found one.
Would you pay to watch Carey Price play forward in beer league hockey?
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