If anyone can understand what Carey Price is going through as a hockey player, it’s Jake Allen. Allen, who was Price’s backup last season and who has gone on to become the goalie no 1 of the team in his absence this season, showed a lot of empathy for his teammate on Wednesday after the Montreal Canadiens’ training session at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.
The 31-year-old New Brunswicker returned to the message Price posted on Instagram late Tuesday afternoon, in which the Canadiens goaltender lifted the veil on the reasons that pushed him to self-isolate for a month.
Price said on Tuesday that he visited a substance use treatment center during his 30-day stay in the NHL Player Assistance Program and the NHL Players Association, after years of “To sink into a state of darkness which he [lui était] become impossible to go out without help ”.
“You know, we’re people before we’re hockey players,” Allen recalled. He has the platform to achieve great things. Carey has accomplished so much on the rink over the course of his career, but we must recognize the courage he had to take the gesture he just took. Many people have been silent in the past [sur ce point], but he stood up and took a concrete action. I believe it will change his life for the better, and it shows that it can happen to anyone – whether you are the best goalie in the world or not. “
“We’ll see an improved Carey Price no matter when he chooses to return to the game,” Allen added.
He also took the opportunity to return to the meeting of a few minutes held Tuesday morning between the players and the no 31. Even though he has indicated that he still had not had a face-to-face discussion with him to check on him, Allen assured that he would do so as soon as Price was ready.
“It was good to see him again yesterday. He walked into the locker room and spoke to the whole group together. It had been a while since we last saw him, and he wanted to explain a little bit about the situation he was in, and what his plan was for the future. But hearing his voice, and seeing him around the team, was a relief for many guys. It was good to see a familiar face again, especially knowing that he was going through a difficult time in his life. He looked happy, light. “
Ducharme was surprised
Still, several people were surprised when they read Price’s post on social media. This was the case for head coach Dominique Ducharme, who said he saw no signs of distress from his goalkeeper before he suddenly left the team last month.
“No, and even talking with the players, who are even closer to him than ourselves on a daily basis – they see each other outside the rink, the arena, they rub shoulders with each other – it was a surprise, a little, for everyone. It was not a problem in the team environment, ”said Ducharme.
This is a positive example, which also shows that each of our players is also a human being.
He nevertheless welcomed the public outing of Price, which he said will help destigmatize mental health problems both in hockey and in society in general.
“It will have an impact in the hockey world – we saw it a little bit with Nate [Thompson] and Jonathan [Drouin], even if they are different cases – but also for the world in general. For the young, for the older, for the First Nations, for everyone who looks at Carey and sees the influence he can have as a hockey player and as a personality. A guy like him has shown the courage to seek help, to become even a better person. This is a positive example, which also shows that each of our players is also a human being, ”he underlined.
“We face challenges that are important, and sometimes the way to get away, to get away from it sometimes, might not be the best solution; it can set traps for you. But to face the problem, and to admit it, it is probably the best thing to do ”, added the pilot of the CH.