Standing in front of the red 2015 NHL Awards backdrop at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Hotel, a venue whose attractions have included Barbra Streisand, Cirque du Soleil and illusionist David Copperfield, Price fit right in.

As headliners go, no one in hockey could touch him.

That night Price won the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy and Ted Lindsay Trophy - becoming the first goaltender to win the three awards in one year since Dominik Hasek in 1998 - and shared the William H. Jennings Trophy with Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Price was born into goaltending; his father, Jerry, was an eighth-round draft pick (No. 126) by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1978. Although he never reached the NHL, Jerry Price did play professionally and work as a goaltending consultant with Tri-City of the Western Hockey League.

Price, with his Patrick Roy-inspired, butterfly style in net, played for Tri-City for five years - before his dad worked with the team's goalies -- upon entering the junior ranks in 2002. In 2007, Price won the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL's top goaltender and the Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year Award.

Also in 2007, Price helped Hamilton of the American Hockey League win the Calder Cup and earned playoff MVP honors.

Price, who was selected by the Canadiens with the No. 5 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, joined Montreal in the 2007-2008 season and went 24-12-3 in 41 games.

Already having won the World Junior Championship in 2007, Price helped lead Canada to an Olympic gold medal in Sochi in 2014, going 5-0 with .59 goals-against average and .972 save percentage.

That was only a warmup for his 2014-15 NHL season, which ranked among the finest in memory for a goaltender. Price had 44 wins, a 1.96 GAA and a .933 save percentage.

Price has since battled a series of injuries, but those ailments could not stop him from becoming the Canadiens' all-time wins leader.

Price was limited to 12 games in the 2015-16 season by a sprained MCL. He went 10-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA and a .934 save percentage.

Price won his first 10 games of the 2016-17 season and went on to go 37-20-5 with a 2.23 GAA and a .923 save percentage. He played in the NHL All-Star Game for the fifth time in his career. On July 2, 2017, the Canadiens signed him to an eight-year contract.

Price was slowed by a lower-body injury early in the 2017-18 season, and later a concussion. Despite his injuries, he played in 49 games, going 16-26-7 with a 3.11 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Price made in his 557th NHL start for the Canadiens on April 3, 2018, surpassing Jacques Plante for the Montreal record. Price also played in his sixth NHL All-Star Game that season.

On Oct. 27, 2018, Price passed Roy for second place in Canadiens history with his 290th victory, a 3-0 shutout at the Boston Bruins. Price was named to the 2019 NHL All-Star Game but did not play because of a lower-body injury. Price passed Jacques Plante for most wins in Canadiens history with a 3-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings, his 315th. He finished the season 35-24-6 with a 2.49 GAA and a .918 save percentage.

Price won the 2021-2 Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. He experienced setbacks that had him question whether his playing career was over: offseason knee surgery that was expected to keep him sidelined 10-12 weeks and entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in October for substance use.

Price was the sixth Canadiens player to win the award and the first since forward Max Pacioretty in 2011-12. He was the first goalie to win it since Robin Lehner with the New York Islanders in 2018-19.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• WHL West First All-Star Team (2007)
• WHL Goaltender of the Year (2007)
• Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team (2007)
• Canadian Major Junior Goaltender of the Year (2007)
• Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (AHL - Playoff MVP) (2007)
• NHL All-Rookie Team (2008)
• Best Goaltender - Olympics (2014)
• NHL First All-Star Team (2015)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018)