“I am working for years to neglect 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 about when I will play again.
“I appreciate all the overwhelming support and good wishes. I ask that the media and our hockey community continue to respect our privacy at this time. Your support and respect for this so far has been a critical piece to my recovery. “
Price missed all of training camp while recovering from offseason knee surgery after leading the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup final and entered the player assistance program on October 7.
“He’s doing well,” Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said after speaking with Price Tuesday morning. “Carey was at (the Bell Sports Complex), he’s still inside. It was good for me to see him and see how he’s doing and for the guys, too, to see his teammate back. We have a good group of guys and they care about each other. So having him back I think just on a personal level, the guys feel really good to see him and see that he’s doing well. “
It remains uncertain when Price will return to the ice. Ducharme said there will be a four-step process. The first will be to get in shape in the gym, which should take four to five days, after which Price will go on the ice with a member of the training staff to monitor his physical condition and knee. After that, Price will work with goalkeeping coach Eric Raymond and then start practicing with his teammates. Ducharme said last week that Price could also play a couple of games with AHL’s Laval Rocket before playing with the Canadiens.
Price, 34, is in the fourth season of an eight-year, $ 84 million contract with an annual salary cap of $ 10.5 million.
Reference-montrealgazette.com