Tri-City Americans (2003–2007) Price made his first appearance in the
Western Hockey League (WHL) for the
Tri-City Americans during the
2002–03 season. Securing a full-time roster spot the
following season as the
backup for
Colorado Avalanche prospect
Tyler Weiman, Price posted a 2.38
Goals against average (GAA) and .915
save percentage (SV%) appearing in 28 games. He took over as the primary starter of the team beginning in
2004–05 and quickly established himself as a top goaltender, playing in a league-high 63 games with a 2.34 GAA and .920 SV% and eight
shutouts. Ranking as the best
North American goaltender by
NHL Central Scouting, Price was drafted fifth overall by the
Montreal Canadiens. This move was considered surprising by many, both because Price was widely projected to be drafted in the middle of the first round, and because the Canadiens' then-current goaltender,
José Theodore, had won the
Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender three years prior. During the
2005–06 season, Price's play in Tri-City suffered considerably whereas he posted a 2.87 GAA and a .906 SV% across 55 games. Price rebounded with a very strong
2006–07 campaign, posting an excellent 2.45 GAA and .917 SV% while winning both the
Del Wilson Trophy as the top WHL goaltender and the
CHL Goaltender of the Year award. Despite this, the Americans were eliminated in six games during the
2007 postseason.
Hamilton Bulldogs (2007) Following Tri-City's early playoff exit, Price joined the Canadiens'
American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the
Hamilton Bulldogs, just before the start of the
2007 Calder Cup playoffs. In two regular season AHL appearances with the Bulldogs, Price allowed only three collective goals and posted a win. He then led the Bulldogs on a remarkable postseason run, defeating the
Hershey Bears four games to one in the finals as the team won their first
Calder Cup. With this, Price became only the third teenage goaltender to win the
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as AHL playoff
MVP, posting a 2.06 GAA and .936 SV%.
Montreal Canadiens (2007–2022) Early career, Eastern Conference Final runs (2007–2014) Price made his highly anticipated
NHL debut on October 10, 2007, against the
Pittsburgh Penguins and recorded 26 saves in a 3–2 win. He was awarded the Canadiens'
Molson Cup for October, given to the player with the most first-star selections. Although reassigned to the AHL ranks midway through the season in January, he was called back up to Montreal shortly over a month later. With the move of starting goaltender
Cristobal Huet to the
Washington Capitals before the annual
trade deadline, Price assumed the foregoing's role for the Canadiens. He was subsequently named the NHL Rookie of the Month for March and the NHL First Star of the Week (ending April 6, 2008) as the Canadiens finished first overall in the
Eastern Conference and earned their first division title since
1991–92. He would go on to record another shutout in game seven to eliminate the Bruins. The Canadiens were then upset in the second round in five games to the sixth-seeded
Philadelphia Flyers, with Price losing three of the last four games. in March 2009 After a strong start to the
2008–09 season, in which he earned a second Molson Cup in November, Price injured his ankle in a game against the
Tampa Bay Lightning on December 30, 2008. he made his return to action on January 20, 2009 replacing backup
Jaroslav Halák who was pulled in a 4–2 loss to the
Atlanta Thrashers. Qualifying for the
2009 playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens played the Boston Bruins in the opening round for the second consecutive season. They were
swept in four games, with the Bruins scoring at least four times in each game. In the final game at the
Bell Centre in Montreal, Price surrendered four goals in two periods. After stopping a weak dump-in, the crowd cheered sarcastically and Price responded by putting his arms up in the air, similar to Patrick Roy's infamous gesture on December 2, 1995, in a game after which Roy requested a trade from the Canadiens. Price struggled throughout the
2009–10 season, winning only 13 games and losing the starting job to Halák as the Canadiens entered the
2010 playoffs as the eighth and final seed for the second consecutive season. The highlight of the season for Price was stopping 37 of 38 shots in a 5–1 win over the Boston Bruins in the
Canadiens' 100th anniversary game on December 4, 2009, and the low point was surrendering four goals in his only start of the playoffs. Although the Canadiens made a surprisingly long playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals in the 2010 playoffs, upsetting both the
Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals and the defending
Stanley Cup champion and fourth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins along the way before losing in a lopsided five-game series to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in the Conference finals, Price appeared in only four games (two in the first round, one in the second round and one in the third round, respectively). Entering the off-season period, both Price and Halák became
restricted free agents whereas a debate emerged amongst fans and experts alike over who should remain with the team – the playoff hero Halák or the younger Price. After weeks of media speculation, the Canadiens chose Price, trading Halák to the
St. Louis Blues and re-signing Price to a two-year, $5.5 million contract to return to his role as starting goaltender. During the
2010–11 season, Price played in 72 games recording new career highs including 38 wins, eight shutouts a 2.35 GAA and a .923 SV%, and was selected to play in the
2011 NHL All-Star Game. This collective performance from Price allowed the Canadiens to enter the
2011 playoffs as the sixth seed in the East before ultimately falling in seven games to the third-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. On October 26, 2011, Price earned his 100th win in his NHL career in his 214th game against the Philadelphia Flyers. A few months later, he participated in his third All-Star Game. The
2011–12 season, however, did not go well for the Canadiens as a team, and they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2006–07 season and for the first time in Price's career having finished the season in last place in the Eastern Conference, putting them 14 points behind the last playoff spot in the standings. On July 2, 2012, Price re-signed with the Canadiens on a six-year contract worth US$39 million. During the
lockout-shortened
2012–13 season, Price started the year very well, winning 18 of his first 28 starts as the Canadiens, in stark contrast to the previous season, were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, going 29–14–5, good enough for second in the conference. Price's play, however, dropped off in the final weeks of the season, going 2–6 and allowing 27 goals. Nonetheless, the Canadiens went into the
2013 playoffs as the second seed against the seventh-seeded
Ottawa Senators. In game 4, with the score tied 2–2 as the third period came to an end, Price suffered a groin injury and did not return for the
overtime period and was replaced by backup
Peter Budaj; the Senators would go on to score and win the game. Price's injury sidelined him for the rest of the series and the Canadiens were eliminated in five games. Price ended the playoffs with a sub-par 3.26 GAA and a .894 SV%. The
2013–14 season saw Price play 59 games and record 34 wins to go along with a career-best 2.32 GAA and .927 SV%, leading the Canadiens to their second 100-point season since the
2007–08 season, Price's rookie season. The Canadiens entered the
2014 playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference against the Tampa Bay Lightning, whom they swept in four games, marking Price's first playoff series win since 2008 when he was a rookie. The Montreal Canadiens then faced the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in the second round, marking the fourth such matchup of Price's NHL career to date. In contrast to their previous two postseason meetings, the Canadiens upset the Bruins, ousting them in seven games. Following a 4–2 defeat in game 5 at
TD Garden, Price shut out the Bruins in game 6 by a score of 4–0 before stopping 29 shots in a 3–1 victory in game 7 to eliminate Boston and advance to the conference finals. His and the Canadiens' run, however, ended against the
New York Rangers. In game 1 at the
Bell Centre, with the Rangers up 2–0 near the end of the second period, Rangers forward
Chris Kreider collided into Price. He would briefly remain in the net, allowing two additional goals before the intermission. Price was then replaced by Budaj in the third period as the Rangers scored three more goals towards a 7–2 final. Days later, it was announced that Price had been ruled out for the rest of the series with an unspecified lower-body injury, the second consecutive year which saw a premature ending to his playoffs due to injury.
Hart, Jennings and Vezina Trophies, Stanley Cup Final appearance (2014–2021) Price would have the best season of his career in
2014–15, as he would finish the season as the leader of the three leading categories for goaltenders: GAA (1.96), SV% (.933), and wins (44), all career highs as he would help the Canadiens win the
Atlantic Division. He would go on to win the
Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player in the regular season, the
Vezina Trophy as best goaltender, the
Ted Lindsay Award as most valuable player as voted by the
NHLPA, and the
William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed (tied with
Corey Crawford of the
Chicago Blackhawks with 189 goals allowed). He became only the second player in franchise history to win four awards in one season. Early into the
2015–16 season, Price suffered a knee injury in a game against the New York Rangers on November 25, 2015. While initially expected to return after six weeks, it was later revealed that the extent of Price's injury was a
MCL sprain, effectively ending his season outright. He would be named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the second time in his career at season's end, with the foregoing honor ultimately going to
Sergei Bobrovsky of the
Columbus Blue Jackets. On July 2, 2017, it was announced that Price signed an eight-year contract extension with an annual cap hit of US$10.5 million totaling US$84 million for the entire contract. His new contract will run through the 2025–26 season. This made Price the highest paid goaltender in the 2018–19 season, surpassing New York Rangers goaltender
Henrik Lundqvist. After a dismal start to the
2017–18 season, Price left the lineup due to a minor lower body injury, leaving goaltenders
Al Montoya and
Charlie Lindgren to take his place during his absence. On February 22, 2018, Price was ruled out indefinitely after sustaining a concussion in a game against the
Philadelphia Flyers. On March 19, Price returned from his concussion and dressed after missing 13 games for a game against the
Florida Panthers. Despite his injuries, he made in his 557th career NHL start for the Canadiens against the
Winnipeg Jets on April 3, surpassing the previous franchise record held by
Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
Jacques Plante. On October 27, 2018, with a 3–0 win over the Boston Bruins, Price surpassed Patrick Roy for second place in Canadiens franchise career wins with his 290th career victory. Price was named to the
2019 National Hockey League All-Star Game, his sixth All-Star nomination, but he chose to defer due to a lower-body injury with Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender
Andrei Vasilevskiy filling his spot. On March 12, 2019, with a 3–1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, Price surpassed Jacques Plante for first place in Canadiens franchise career wins with his 315th. Even though the Canadiens missed the
2019 playoffs by two points, Price had an improved season, with a 35–24–6 record and a .918 SV% in 66 games in
2018–19. For the
2019–20 season, Price played 58 games in the season, recording a .909 SV% and a 27–25–6 record. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in March 2020, however, the regular season ended three weeks early. Price's presence on the Canadiens' lineup became a point of discussion in the media during the NHL's debates on the format for the belated
2020 playoffs, which were to be held in August 2020 in an expanded format that allowed the Canadiens to participate for the first time in three years. The Canadiens were scheduled to play a qualifying round against the
Pittsburgh Penguins, and it was reported that the Penguins had objected to the idea of a best-of-three series on the basis that Price's presence and talent gave the Canadiens an unfair advantage relative to their regular season performance. The Penguins publicly denied this subsequently. Ultimately a best-of-five format was chosen instead. The Canadiens defeated the Penguins 3–1 in the qualifying round, with Price recording a .947 SV%. The team went on to lose the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two. With pandemic restrictions and effects still in place, the NHL arranged for all teams to play exclusively within realigned divisions for the
2020–21 season, with all Canadian teams playing in the newly formed
North Division. Towards the end of the abbreviated season, Price sustained a concussion on April 20, 2021, after a collision with
Alex Chiasson of the
Edmonton Oilers. As part of his return to the ice, he played a single game with the Canadiens' newfound AHL affiliate, the
Laval Rocket, on May 17. Price finished the season with 12 wins, an underwhelming .901 SV% and 2.64 GAA as the Canadiens clinched the final seed in the playoffs. Price would see notable statistical improvements throughout the
2021 playoffs while the Canadiens advanced to their first
Stanley Cup Final in 28 years. The Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games by
overcoming a 3–1 series deficit in round one, then swept the Winnipeg Jets in round two, and finally defeated the
Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the semifinals to win the
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl. Price was widely cited as the most important player in the Canadiens' deep run to the Stanley Cup Final. When asked about the difference between Price's regular and postseason performances in recent years, team general manager
Marc Bergevin remarked "I guess the expression we could use he's a big-game player. He rises to the occasion. He does extremely well under pressure." In the Stanley Cup Final against the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, Price and the Canadiens lost the first three games, but won game 4 at home by a score of 3–2 in overtime to avoid getting swept. Price made 32 saves in the win and then 29 saves in game 5, which the Canadiens lost 1–0 for a 4–1 series loss with Lightning rookie forward
Ross Colton scoring the lone goal of game 5 at
Amalie Arena as the Lightning won their second-consecutive Stanley Cup title. Price proposed to waive his no-movement clause so the Canadiens could instead protect Allen, with the team calculating that the Kraken would opt not to take Price's contract due to its
cap hit and duration. Ultimately, the Kraken declined the opportunity to select Price, and selected defenceman
Cale Fleury from the Canadiens instead. However, on October 7, it was announced by the Canadiens that Price would be entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, established to help NHL players and their families deal with substance abuse, mental health, and other personal challenges. On November 9, Price rejoined his Canadiens teammates and went on to release a statement explaining his leave, revealing that he decided to enter a residential treatment facility for substance abuse following "years of neglecting [his] own mental health". Following his departure from the player assistance program, Price embarked on an extended rehabilitation of his knee, a process that lasted months past what was initially expected and involved multiple setbacks. In his absence, the Canadiens, plagued by injuries to other players, fell to the bottom of the league standings. Team owner
Geoff Molson sacked general manager Bergevin, and subsequently coach
Dominique Ducharme was removed as well, replaced by
Martin St. Louis, a former teammate of Price's on the 2014 Canadian Olympic team. In early April, it was announced that Price would travel with the team to away games against New Jersey and Toronto, but would not play in either. After days of speculation, it was confirmed that he would make his first start on April 15 against the
New York Islanders, the Canadiens' 75th game of the
2021–22 season. In his return, he gave up two goals on 20 shots in a 3–0 loss to the Islanders. After three additional games, Price consulted with his New York-based specialist on continued knee inflammation, but said "there were no real questions answered for me." He returned to the net for the Canadiens' final game of the season, a 10–2 rout of the
Florida Panthers for his only win of the season. Price indicated that he would seek further answers over the summer. Addressing the possibility that the season-ender was his final game with the team, he said "If it is it, that would be a great way to do it." After receiving same, he observed "there's obstacles in life that will always challenge you, and I think having the ability to overcome those and keep things in perspective and keep moving forward is something that we should all be teaching our children and loved ones." On August 18, 2022, Canadiens general manager
Kent Hughes announced that Price was unlikely to play during the
2022–23 season and that if he were to return at all, it would likely require additional surgery. Price later disclosed in an interview with
The Athletic that the contemplated procedure was an
osteochondral autograft transfer, but the odds of success were too low for him to consider it, given the risk to his day-to-day life were it not to succeed. Even if he had pursued the surgery, it would have been intended mainly to give Price something approaching normal faculty, not to resume active play. In April 2023, Price's spouse hinted at his retirement, stating their family was selling their longtime home on Montreal's
South Shore and permanently moving to
Kelowna, British Columbia at the end of the school year. Although Price himself wished he could return for the
2023–24 season, he realized that it would take a "miracle" to do so. Subsequently,
The Athletic reported a few months later that Price had not only ruled out returning for the upcoming season, but concluded his hockey career was over. While Price remains under active contract until 2026, he told
The Athletic that his knee swells up under even minimal strain and cannot withstand the workload of a full hockey season. His priority therefore has shifted to maintaining his quality of life, and "he knows he will never play professional hockey again." Prior to the beginning of the
2025–26 season, Price's contractual rights, along with a
2026 fifth-round pick, were traded to the
San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Gannon Laroque on September 5, 2025. ==International play==