Carey Price Ready to Receive Numerous NHL Awards
Montreal Canadians goalie Carey Price is by far the best at his position in the NHL. Price will clean up shortly at the NHL awards. He has clinched the Williams Jennings Award given to the goalie with the lowest goals-against average.
Price will likely win the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the league and he is the favorite to win the Hart Trophy that goes to the MVP of the regular season. Price is also one of the finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, which goes to the NHL player of the year that is voted on by NHL players.
These kinds of spoils come following a season with a league leading 44 wins, a goals-against average of 1.96 and a save percentage of .933.
The Montreal goalie is also aware how the adulation following a successful NHL season can lead to different kinds of spoils. The risk lies in winning trophies, reading the press and starting to think that this success is something given rather than being something hard earned.
Price said these things could destroy careers. He has been through it following his second season and knows not to again. That second year for Price followed his hugely successful rookie year with a .905 goals against average, which to date is the worst of his career.
However, at 27 and with 435 career games played, he has learned how to best handle success and failure.
Part of the way he does that is to unplug. He and his wife traveled to Italy for 10 days after Montreal was eliminated from the postseason.
He traveled three previous times to Europe but always to play hockey. The trip this time however, was simply vacation with a few days in Venice and stops along the way in Rome, Florence and Sorrento.
In Italy, hockey fans recognized him as he jokingly said there are Canadians everywhere.
He did not watch the playoffs, as it is almost impossible to watch his peers achieve something he desperately wants.
This past offseason he did not spend as much time in the gym but instead was outdoors more often hiking, biking and just resetting his mind. Price has learned that eight to nine months of an NHL season can be very grueling on not just the body by the mind.
After such a successful season, he knows the pressure will start from day one when he returns to play next season. He was the league’s best goalie but it was not enough for a Stanley Cup title, which he hopes comes next.
After the end of next season, Price will likely be the favorite to be in goal for Canada in the 2016 World Cup.
