Price says he was treated for substance use, visits Canadiens teammates

BROSSARD, Quebec -- Carey Price said he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program for substance use.

"Over the last few years I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn't have the tools to cope with that struggle," the Montreal Canadiens goalie said Tuesday
in a statement released by the team
. "Last month I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance use. Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do. And it was what I needed to do.
"I am working through years of neglecting my own mental health which will take some time to repair; all I can do is take it day by day. With that comes some uncertainty with when I will return to play."
Coach Dominique Ducharme said of Price's statement, "That's courage. To face situations like that, the first thing you need to get help is having the courage to admit that you need help and the support of everyone else. This morning, yes, he spoke to the players, but above all we're a team and we're going to continue to support him."
Price's meeting with his teammates Tuesday was his first time seeing them since entering the program Oct. 7.
"It was great to see him, he's doing well," Ducharme said. "For our players, we're together every day so we have a good group of players and they take care of each other. And to see a teammate come back like that, it's positive for the guys. Obviously while he was gone we had no news about him, so to see him again and to see him in a good state of mind, that's positive."
Montreal forward Tyler Toffoli said after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings at home Tuesday that he hadn't read Price's statement but praised the goalie for his openness.
"Talking with 'Pricer,' he knows that he has our support," Toffoli said. "And what he did and the caliber of a player and person he is, for him to have the courage and step up and not only go away to seek the help but come back and talk to everybody and release a statement like that, it's extremely powerful, and there's a reason why he attracts good people and everybody wants to be around him, because he's a great human being and we all love him and support him deeply."
Price met with the Canadiens training staff Sunday to have his surgically repaired knee examined.
"Obviously he didn't go to a physical conditioning center," Ducharme said. "The training equipment he had available to him was not what we have here. But he found ways every day to keep in shape. So physically we're happy to see where he's at because we had no idea what he was able to do or did. He was able to stay pretty active."
Price will not accompany the Canadiens on the three-game road trip that follows their home game against Calgary Flames on Thursday.
"He's got many things to do right now, so I don't think he's going to be on the trip because there are steps that he needs to be taking," Ducharme said. "So I think it's important that we focus on that first before going on the road with the team. … He needs to get back in the gym. He had an injury that the therapists are happy to see where he's at right now with that, so he needs to get back to work and do specific work on that."
Ducharme said working out in the gym is the first of four steps Price will have to take before playing a game, followed by skating, then working out with goalie coach Eric Raymond before ultimately rejoining Montreal for practice.
"We cannot rush anything on the personal side," Ducharme said. "… So we're going to monitor that mental side and that physical side so that when he's coming back he's 100 percent, he's not coming back at 75 percent."
Price was 13-9 with a 2.28 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and one shutout in 22 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, helping the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning the Cup in 1993. They lost the best-of-7 series in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Price did not take part in training camp after having arthroscopic surgery in New York on July 23 to repair a torn meniscus, with the Canadiens saying at the time his full recovery would take 10-12 weeks. He resumed skating Sept. 16 and told NHL.com he was in the Canadiens gym and medical clinic almost every day getting back into shape before entering the player assistance program.
Montreal, which is 3-10-1, including a season-opening five-game losing streak, left Price exposed in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft one day before his surgery, but he was not selected by the Seattle Kraken.
Jake Allen has started 12 games in Price's absence, going 3-8-1 with a 2.93 GAA, .901 save percentage and two shutouts. He made 31 saves Tuesday.
Selected by the Canadiens with the No. 5 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, Price is 360-257-79 with a 2.50 GAA, .917 save percentage and 49 shutouts in 707 regular-season NHL games (695 starts). He has the most wins by a goalie in Montreal history. In 2014-15, he won the Vezina Trophy voted as the best goalie in the NHL, the Hart Trophy voted as the most valuable player in the NHL, and the Ted Lindsay Award given annually to the most outstanding player as voted by members of the NHL Players' Association.
Price led the NHL that season with 44 wins, a 1.96 GAA and .933 save percentage, each an NHL career best in a full season. He has five seasons remaining on an eight-year contract he signed with the Canadiens on July 2, 2017.
"I appreciate all of the overwhelming support and well wishes," Price said Tuesday. "I please ask that the media and our hockey community continue to respect our privacy at this time. Your support and respect of this so far has been a critical piece to my recovery."