Zero.
That’s how many Montreal Canadiens players with retired jersey numbers have not won a cup. But if there is someone who deserves to break that trend, it’s legendary goalie Carey Price.
Price has the accolades to prove he deserves to have his “31” hanging from the Bell Centre’s rafters. He is currently the Canadiens franchise leader in wins with 361, ahead of goalies such as Jacques Plante and Ken Dryden, both of whom are Hall of Famers and have their numbers retired. Price won both the Hart Trophy and the Vezina Trophy during the 2014-15 season, which is one of the best goaltending seasons of the 21st century. The B.C. native ranks among the top five in both regular-season and playoff save percentage in Canadiens history (minimum 20 and 10 games played).
While Price may not have had the longevity or consistency of contemporaries like Henrik Lundqvist or Tuukka Rask, at his peak, Price was the best goaltender in the league.
From 2017-2019, Price was voted the NHL’s top goalie by the NHL Players’ Association survey. The survey only began in 2017, but if it had begun earlier, Price would’ve very likely racked up more top goalie votes.
The main argument against retiring Price’s jersey comes down to him never winning a Cup. This is especially relevant considering other players like Steve Shutt and Toe Blake, who don’t have their numbers retired, have won multiple cups. However, the issue with holding the lack of a Cup against Price is that it fails to acknowledge the teams he played on.
While the Habs had some good teams in the mid 2010s and even made the Cup final in 2021, they were largely successful because of Price. The Canadiens failed to put together a true Stanley Cup-contending team during Price’s career.
Ken Dryden put it best back in 2015 when he said, “I was a good goalie on a great team. Price is a great goalie on a very good team.”
A stat that exemplifies this is the fact that Price only had one teammate in Montreal who was a point-per-game player in his entire career. That was Alex Kovalev in 2007-08, which was Price’s rookie season, and it goes to show how little offensive help he had during his career.
But Price’s case doesn’t just come from his on-ice performance, off the ice Price is revered in Montreal. Price has been heavily involved in the community, supporting Indigenous youth, food security causes and being an ambassador for mental health.
Price entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in the fall of 2021 after revealing his struggles with substance abuse. His courage to seek help inspired many and led to him winning the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2022, which is awarded to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
Another unwritten prerequisite to have your number retired by the Habs is that you must be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and while Price hasn’t been inducted yet, with his track record he will certainly get in eventually.
The Canadiens lead the NHL with 15 jersey numbers retired for 18 players, and every single one of those players won a Stanley Cup.
Considering the Habs are the oldest team in the NHL and they are one of, if not the most prestigious franchise in the league, the bar is very high to earn a number in the rafters. That distinction is only reserved for legends.
Price is an icon in Montreal who spent his entire 15-year playing career with the bleu, blanc et rouge. Price has the accolades, he has the off-ice impact and he is one of the greatest goalies not just in Canadiens history, but in the history of the NHL.
Because of that, no Montreal Canadiens player should ever wear number 31 again.
