Price favored for MVP and top goalie honors

The legend of Carey Price continues to grow.

The 27-year-old goalie, a member of British Columbia’s Ulkatcho First Nation, had a spectacular regular season with the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens.

Price’s regular season performances are expected to earn him a pair of prestigious awards. He is favored to not only win the league’s top goalie award, but also be chosen as the NHL’s most valuable player.

The winners will be announced at this year’s NHL awards ceremony, scheduled for June 24 in Las Vegas.

Price, who is in his eighth NHL campaign, statistically at least, had his best season. He registered a career high 44 wins, surpassing the 38 victories he had earned during the 2010-11 season.

He also racked up nine shutouts this year. His previous high, also during the 2010-11 campaign, was eight.

And for the first time in his pro career, Price posted a goals-against average below 2.00. He appeared in 66 matches and had a 1.98 GAA.

The fact Price is being mentioned as the NHL’s top goalie—and possibly even the best player in the league—should not come as a huge surprise.

The hockey world has been raving about his abilities for well over a decade now. The Montreal Canadiens’ brass has been expecting big things out of Price ever since they selected him in the first round, fifth over-all, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Price has continued to rack up his share of accolades since then. 

For starters, he capped off his junior career with the Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans during the 2006-07 season. He was named as the WHL’s top goalie that year.

During his fourth and final season with the Washington-based Americans, Price also suited up for the Canadian national junior team. He backstopped Canada to a gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Championships and was selected as the tournament MVP of the event, held in Sweden.

Upon the conclusion of his Tri-City season, Price joined the Canadiens’ American Hockey League affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs and had immediate success.

He led the Bulldogs to the AHL championship that spring and was named as the playoff MVP.

Price’s legacy with the Canadiens has only continued to grow in recent years. Another career highlight for him occurred last year when he led Canada to a gold medal in the men’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

As of mid-April, Price was still shining this season. He was hoping to lead the Canadiens to a lengthy playoff run.

While he is a favorite to win the NHL’s best goalie and MVP awards this season, it is debatable whether Price is indeed the best Native player in the league’s history.†

Others who would be in the running for such an honor include George Armstrong, Bryan Trottier and Reggie Leach. 

Armstrong, who has Ojibwe ancestry, is considered one of the greatest Toronto Maple Leafs of all time.

He spent his entire 20-year NHL career with the Maple Leafs. 

Armstrong appeared in 1,298 NHL matches, earning 773 points. He also helped Toronto win Stanley Cup championships in 1962, ’63, ’64 and ’67.

Armstrong, who was nicknamed Chief, also served as the captain of the Maple Leafs for 13 seasons.

Armstrong, who is now 84, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Like Armstrong, Trottier, who is Metis, was inducted into the hall of fame in 1997, following an illustrious playing career.

Trottier played 15 seasons with the New York Islanders and three more with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He won the Stanley Cup four straight years with the Islanders (1980-83) and twice more with the Penguins, back-to-back titles in ‘91 and ‘92.

Trottier also won the Stanley Cup once more, as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.

As for Leach, who is Ojibwe, he was once considered among the NHL’s top forwards. He played 13 seasons in the league, suiting up for the Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings.

Leach, who hails from Riverton, Man., was nicknamed the Riverton Rifle for his deadly shot. He had a career high 61 goals during the 1975-76 season with the Flyers.

Leach helped the Flyers capture the Stanley Cup in ‘75. Though he was also named as the playoff MVP the following year, Leach and his teammates lost the league final to Montreal.

During his NHL career Leach appeared in 1,028 games and had 735 points.

Who do you consider the best Native player ever in the NHL?

Go to https://www.facebook.com/windspeakernews to vote for Carey Price, George Armstrong, Bryan Trottier or Reggie Leach.

Results so far: Fred Sasakamoose, Brian Trottier, Reggie Leach, Carey Price, Theo Fleury, Jim Neilson, Sheldon Souray, Jordin Tootoo, Jonathan Cheechoo, Gino Odjick, Jordan Nolan...