Price's remarkable ride to No. 1 job

posted by Dave Stubbs at 14h49 EST on Feb 26

In 10 months, Carey Price has gone from playing junior hockey to becoming the de facto No. 1 goaltender of the Canadiens. Here's a look at his remarkable ride:

Carey Price’s Remarkable Year

Canadiens goaltender Carey Price had more highlights in the past 13 months than many hockey players have in a lifetime.

In order, beginning in January 2007:

-> Backstops Canada to its third consecutive world junior championship gold medal. He’s named the tournament’s most valuable player, its top goalie, and was selected to the all-star team.

-> Returns to his Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans, leading them to a franchise record for victories.

-> Named to the WHL Western Conference first all-star team, wins the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL’s top goalie and is named the Canadian Hockey League’s goalie of the year.

-> Signs a three-year contract with the Canadiens organization on April 10, days after the end of his final junior season.

-> Reports to American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs and plays his first professional game April 13 against Grand Rapids, stopping 27 of 28 shots to be named the game’s first star.

-> Leads the Bulldogs to the AHL Calder Cup championship with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. He makes 46 saves in the first game of the final to record a shutout.

-> Named winner of the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the Calder Cup final’s MVP. At 19, he is the youngest ever to win the award.

-> Butterfield trophy completes a remarkable hat trick: Price becomes the only goalie in history to win the Butterfield, CHL goalie of the year and world junior MVP in one year.

-> Celebrates his 20th birthday on Aug. 16.

-> Attends Canadiens’ September training camp and on Oct. 1 is named to the team’s roster for the 2007-08 season.

-> Makes NHL debut on Oct. 10, making 26 saves in Pittsburgh to earn his first victory.

-> Wins the Molson Cup for October, awarded to the Canadien who scores most points in three-star voting.

-> Moves into his first apartment, shared with teammate Kyle Chipchura, in mid-November.

-> Records his first career shutout on Feb. 16, a 1-0 home-ice victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

-> With the trade of veteran Cristobal Huet on Feb. 26, 2008 to the Washington Capitals, he becomes the de facto No. 1 goaltender of the Canadiens after having played a total of 26 NHL games.