Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, in crisis or needs someone to talk to, there are many resources available on Canada’s public health website.
“Over the last few years I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn’t have the tools to cope with that struggle. Last month I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance use. Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do. And it was what I needed to do. I am working through years of neglecting my own mental health which will take some time to repair; all I can do is take it day by day. With that comes some uncertainty with when I will return to play. I appreciate all of the overwhelming support and well wishes. I please ask that the media and our hockey community continue to respect our privacy at this time. Your support and respect of this so far has been a critical piece to my recovery.”
One can only assume that typing these 169 words and sending them out into the world had to be one of the hardest things Price has ever done.
But that’s where the assumptions should stop.
There will come a point in time, probably in the near future, that Price chooses to address this further.
But until that time comes, grant him his only wish and respect his privacy.
Don’t spend your time trying to dissect what led the 34-year-old goaltender to this “very dark place” and guessing what substances he used to try to escape it. You know some people who will unquestionably begin to point to his turbulent 15 years with the Montreal Canadiens as a trigger, who will make all kinds of assumptions about his life outside of hockey and about what eventually pushed him over the edge and sent him seeking the help he received over his 30 days in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, and you don’t have to be one of them.
Choose to be someone who will help Price recover by doing what he admits is critical to his process. It’s the right thing to do — especially since he was under no obligation to divulge any of this to anyone but those near and dear to him.
It took great courage from Price to recognize he needed help and to submit to the league and PA’s program. To know how intensely private and introverted he is — “a man of few words with everyone,” as Canadiens teammate Jeff Petry put it earlier this week — is to recognize what it must have taken for him to let the world know he was struggling to this degree.
One can only hope that Price’s openness will lead him closer to catharsis.
Perhaps returning to the Canadiens and preparing to resume his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career as quickly as possible will be a part of that process, too.
It’s encouraging to know Price wishes to continue playing, that he felt good enough to return to the Canadiens’ entourage this week and will begin taking steps towards getting back on the ice.
But it’s more important to know that Price isn’t putting that above his mental health, which he said is in need of reparation after years of neglect.
Don’t expect the Canadiens to get in the way of that. While they would love to have Price back in their net as soon as possible, coach Dominique Ducharme has already made it clear over the last 48 hours that he, and everyone in the organization, knows that Pirce will have to go through an elaborate process before that happens.
Ducharme outlined four stages Price would work through. He said the Anahim Lake, B.C., native would start in the gym doing exercises specific to rehabilitation from off-season knee surgery before resuming on-ice work with Canadiens goaltending coach Eric Raymond and then returning to practice and eventually games.
The coach came away from his first meeting with Price on Tuesday feeling encouraged.
“It was good to see him, and he’s doing well,” Ducharme said. “For our players, we are together every day. We have a good group of players and they take care of each other. To see a teammate come back like that is positive for the guys. While he was away, we didn’t hear from him. To see him back and in a good frame of mind, it’s positive.”
Price remaining in one will depend on the steps he continues to take in his recovery, on the support of those close to him and the help provided to him by those he continues to consult with.
He’s made it clear you can play a key role, too, by giving him the space and privacy he needs.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
