"My rink was a community cornerstone" - Carey Price reflects on his hockey journey as Habs legend takes on ambassador role

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will likely never play again professionally, but that doesn’t mean he’s done with hockey. The Habs’ iconic shot-stopper was considered one of the greatest goalies in the world and holds the record for goaltender with most wins (361) for the Canadiens.

Price was on Jan. 6 announced as the official Kraft Hockeyville 2025 program ambassador. He took to Instagram to express his excitement at his involvement. Sharing a carousel of photos featuring his childhood skating days, Olympic success, and other memorable moments on the ice, Price wrote:

“Like many Canadians, my rink was a community cornerstone. It’s where I went to work towards my hockey dreams. Kraft Hockeyville funds arena upgrades, strengthening the spirit of hockey in towns and cities — helping bring dreams like mine to life for Canadians from coast to coast.”

Kraft Heinz is teaming up with the NHL and Players’ Association for the campaign. The deadline for nominations is Mar. 2, 2025. The winner will host an NHL pre-season game and receive $250,000 for upgrades and arena renovations.

According to NHL.com, Kraft Hockeyville has awarded over $5.1 million to 101 communities to maintain and upgrade sports and recreation infrastructure in Canada.

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Carey Price’s career was curtailed by knee injury

Price debuted for the Habs in the 2007-08 season as a backup goalie. The 37-year-old is contracted to the Montreal Canadiens till the 2025-26 season. He underwent knee surgery in 2021 and has not played in the NHL since the 2021-22 season. In 2023, Price publicly stated that his injury made a return to professional hockey unlikely.

"Honestly, on a day-to-day basis I feel really good. But when I do certain things on a consistent basis it’s a very solid reminder that my knee’s not in a position to take the brunt of a full season’s workload,” Carey Price said, via the Montreal Gazette. “The honest thing is right now, it’s just not going to happen to take the stress of the goaltending position — it’s not where it needs to be,” he added.

Over the course of his career, Carey Price has won many accolades and awards. In 2015, he became the first goaltender in the NHL’s history to win the Ted Lindsay Award, William M. Jennings Trophy, Vezina Trophy, and Hart Trophy in a single season. He led the Habs to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021. Price was inducted into the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame last season.