Carey Price doesn’t hold a grudge against Chris Kreider

Mathis Therrien
Carey Price doesn’t hold a grudge against Chris Kreider
Credit: Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

The Montreal Canadiens pulled off a real masterstroke yesterday by acquiring a tough, experienced, and talented top-six forward in exchange for nothing but cash.

In fact, Kent Hughes and his team didn't give up anything to sign Kreider, as no prospects or draft picks were traded to acquire the 35-year-old forward.

On top of that, the deal is based on an excellent one-year contract worth $2.15 million, with the potential for $3.125 million in bonuses.

The Habs have thus added the ideal physical top-6 forward to their lineup practically for free.

It is for all these reasons that the vast majority of Habs fans quickly—if not immediately—moved past the 2014 incident, when Kreider injured Carey Price.

In fact, Price himself has already stated that he doesn't hold a grudge against Kreider for that incident.

Indeed, as Stu Cowan explains in his latest article, the former Canadiens goaltender holds no grudge against Kreider and doesn't hold it against him.

“I have no animosity toward him. It was just a play; it was the playoffs, and everything happened very quickly. I don't hold it against him at all.” – Carey Price

However, it was quite the opposite for Habs fans before Kreider signed with Montreal yesterday.

We all remember that infamous Game 1 against the New York Rangers in the conference finals, when Kreider collided with Price, skates first, seriously injuring the Habs' goaltender's knee.

The Canadiens went on to lose the series without Price, even though #31 could have led the team to the Stanley Cup had he not been injured.

It's also worth noting that Price struggled with that knee injury for the rest of his career, even forcing him to stop playing hockey entirely before his contract expired.

Kreider was therefore clearly on the Habs fans' blacklist, as he was booed every time he stepped onto the ice at the Bell Centre.

But now it seems all that has been forgotten, as the arrival of the 35-year-old forward clearly strengthens the team and, above all, fills a critical need for physicality on the second line alongside Ivan Demidov.

In short, this chapter is now behind both Carey Price and the Habs fans.


In a Nutshell

– Indeed.

– Must-read.

– That's really not looking good.

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