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Temple: it’s okay if Carey Price has to wait another year
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Temple: it’s okay if Carey Price has to wait another year
Credit: Getty Images
Yesterday, we learned that Carey Price was not inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The eight inductees are a fine crop. We’re talking about two builders and six players, including four from the National Hockey League.

Danièle Sauvageau’s inclusion is particularly welcome news.

But of course, the one we were keeping an eye on in Quebec was Carey Price. Would the goalie, still under contract with the Habs for one year, be inducted into the Hall of Fame?

And finally, as you know, he didn’t make it into the Hall on Midsummer’s Day 2025.

We could look for comparisons all we wanted (with comparables in other sports or with Shea Weber, for example), but we have to say that it’s not the end of the world if Price has to wait a year before entering the Hall.

But why? Because it also depends on his vintage.

If you look at the people Price was up against among NHL players, you’ll see that there was the big defenseman of the Blackhawks dynasty, the Bruins’ #1 defenseman in 2011 and another Cup champion who had long been forgotten.

The Stanley Cup weighs quite heavily in these cases… in addition to the fact that they were top players for many years, of course.

And Joe Thornton, who never won? I think the big center also deserved his place in the sun this year, which means that places were limited for Price.

Does Price deserve his place? In my eyes, the answer is yes. He’s had a great career, won everything (except the Cup, of course) and leads the Canadiens in regular-season wins.

But you can’t bring in eight or nine NHL players every year. Otherwise, it lowers the value of the positions acquired by the others.

Next year, I think his chances will be good. Patrice Bergeron will be eligible and he should get in, but I think Price has an advantage over Phil Kessel and Eric Staal, two other newcomers on the ballot.

Because the mistake that is sometimes made is that of comparing players instead of vintages. For example, Henrik Lundqvist might not have made the cut had he been on the 2025 ballot, but he did in 2023.

Price’s turn will come. He’ll just have to be patient – and that’s all right.


overtime

– The Blues won’t give him away.

– Interesting.

– Really?

– Of note.

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