Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen voiced his support for Carey Price after seeing his teammate after practice on Tuesday.
“Yeah, it was great to see him, first off,” Allen, the de facto No. 1 goalie in Price’s absence, said on Wednesday. “He came in and talked with all of us as a group. Obviously, we haven’t seen him in a while and he just sort of explained what was sort of going on, where he was, what his plan is going forward and what he’s going to do for the team.
“Just to hear his voice and see him around was a sense of relief for a lot of the guys. It was good to see a familiar face like that, especially when someone’s going through a bit of a difficult time. He seemed happy, he seemed light, he had a light energy about him. It was good to see.”
Price voluntarily entered the NHL’s player assistance program more than a month ago. After returning to the Canadiens on Tuesday, the superstar goaltender issued a statement through the team and also posted it to his Instagram account on Tuesday evening. Price said in the post that he entered a residential treatment facility for his substance use.
Price rejoined the Habs on Sunday but has not begun to practise. Instead, he has met with the team’s athletic trainers to come up with a plan to get back into shape after having knee surgery on July 22 after leading Montreal to the Stanley Cup final.
He met with his teammates Tuesday for the first time since entering the program.
“Again, we’re not sure exactly when he’ll be back, but like he told us yesterday, he’s going to do the best to be back as quick as possible for this group,” Allen said. “Obviously, he means a lot to this team, this organization, but he also wants to do it right, come back in the right manner, in the right mindset, and obviously skill-wise on the ice.”
Allen added that Price’s move to step back and look after his mental health was a good example for others to follow.
“Carey’s done so many great things on the ice obviously over the course of his career, internationally, here. He’s on a pedestal as well, it should be noted, to do something brave like he just did,” Allen said. “We’ve seen a lot of people in the past sit back and do nothing about it, but he stepped up and did something about it, and I think it’s going to most likely change his life for the better.
“It just goes to show it can happen to anyone, anyone can do anything, doesn’t matter if you’re a hockey player or one of the best goalies in the world. He did what he had to do for the betterment of himself, for his kids and his wife, and, ultimately, this team, too. I think we’re going to see a great version of Carey Price coming forward whenever he hits the ice again, and I’m excited to see it.”
The Canadiens are 3-10-1, last in the Eastern Conference. They host the hot Calgary Flames on Thursday at the Bell Centre.
Canadiens’ Jake Allen voices support for Carey Price after return to team
Source: Pinas Ko Mahal
0 Mga Komento