Team Chara selection left Price flustered

GATINEAU, Que. --  Carey Price's experience at Thursday night's 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft got off to a clumsy start, and just snowballed from there.

When Price was selected by Team Chara with the No. 13 pick of the draft, it would be fair to say that the Montreal Canadiens goaltender was caught a bit off guard.

"I didn't know I was picked!" Price said. "I think Hartsy (Scott Hartnell) tapped me on the leg and said, 'That's you.' So I didn't even know, and when I got out there I didn't even see the big Zdeno standing there, all 6-foot-10 of him."

That would be team captain Zdeno Chara, who didn’t receive the ceremonial handshake from Price as he simply walked right by him and straight his seat after posing for a picture with assistant captain Joffrey Lupul, who had announced the selection.

"I feel shame. I feel real shame," Price said, looking down at his feet. "I gave him a point after when I walked by and he kind of looked at me funny. I felt bad. He's a big guy, how'd I miss him?"

Even after further prodding with questions, Price was sticking with his story that he didn't see the tallest player in NHL history. But as any good captain should, Chara took the blame for the snafu by claiming he was looking down at his computer as Price arrived.

Funnily enough, Price used the same excuse.

"I was looking down," Price said. "You know goalies don't stickhandle with their heads up. I'm just trying to do one thing at a time around here."

Price was so flustered during the whole night. He says he didn't even hear TSN host James Duthie mention that he has given up just five goals in two All-Star appearances.

"I had no idea," he said. "Don't even tell me."

By being drafted onto Team Chara, Price finds himself on a squad stocked with three Boston Bruins and three Maple Leafs, two of the Canadiens' most heated rivals.

The rivalry with Boston has recently been far more dramatic, but Price said he appreciates the chance to play alongside guys like Chara, Tim Thomas and Tyler Seguin.

"They're good guys, actually," Price said. "You play against them all season and you learn to hate them, but you get on their team and they're actually good guys. That's the fun thing behind all this, you get to know guys that you learn to hate but at the end of the day they're just guys trying to do their jobs too."