An exceptional weekend

LOS ANGELES - Carey Price, Shea Weber and Michel Therrien couldn't say enough good things about their All-Star experience over the weekend, which left each one of them with memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

BIG HIGHLIGHTS: After turning aside three of six shots against in the Atlantic Division's 10-6 defeat to the Metropolitan Division at the STAPLES Center on Sunday, Carey Price reflected upon several key moments of his 2017 NHL All-Star experience.
The ultimate highlight, of course, was taking a lap around the ice with his eight-month-old daughter, Liv, during a break in the Skills Competition on Saturday night. Photographs and video of the two spending quality father-daughter time together lit up social media platforms, as fans the world over thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Canadiens' No. 31 blend hockey and fatherhood together.
"It would have to be the time I spent with Liv on the ice last night," said Price, when asked to expand upon the events that really marked his trip to Southern California. "That was a pretty special moment for myself. She won't remember it, I'm sure, but I will."

The 29-year-old netminder - a five-time All-Star - will also forever remember sharing a few moments with some of the all-time legends of the game during Sunday's pre-game festivities on the STAPLES Center ice. Back on Friday night, the NHL revealed its list of the Top 100 players in League history, many of whom were present to greet the members of this year's All-Star class during player introductions.
"It was pretty cool. I actually wanted to stop and shake everybody's hand, but because of circumstances we weren't supposed to do that," shared Price. "I definitely would have liked to spend more time with those guys. I was pretty starstruck, to be honest."

CATCHING SHEA'S EYE: While plying his trade on Sunday in his seventh career All-Star Game, Shea Weber couldn't help but notice the play of some of his teammates on the Atlantic Division roster.
Auston Matthews and Brad Marchand, in particular, impressed the veteran rearguard, who finished the contest with one assist and three shots on goal to his credit, along with a plus-1 differential in 7:13 of ice time.
"Obviously, we play against him, so we know how good he is and how effective he is because we have to shut him down. To be able to play with him, it was pretty fun. He's good," praised Weber, who saw the Toronto Maple Leafs' young gun light the lamp once on Sunday afternoon, along with Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson and Vincent Trocheck. "Him and Marchy [Brad Marchard] are great players and have great instincts."

AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER:Michel Therrien didn't come away with a win on Sunday afternoon, but the Canadiens' bench boss couldn't stop smiling when it came to answering questions about his time in the City of Angels.
The relaxed nature of the All-Star Game festivities afforded Therrien the chance to simply enjoy everything going on around him and to soak it all in.
"I wasn't there to give advice. I was just trying to encourage the players and have fun with them. We shared some laughs, which was nice, since we're usually rivals during the year," said Therrien. "I wasn't just a coach, but also a fan. We got to see some great goals at both ends, and the players enjoyed it, too."

It goes without saying that the 53-year-old Montreal native felt exceptionally lucky to be able to make the nearly 3,000-mile trek across the continent to be among the best players in the game, both past and present.
"I'd say meeting Wayne Gretzky today was incredible. He's such a classy and humble guy. Also seeing Sidney Crosby -- it had been a long time since we got to chat since I used to coach him. Those were special moments, as well as getting to meet celebrities from outside of hockey," said Therrien, who made his All-Star Game debut. "Being part of this weekend was an exceptional experience. Everyone who was here this weekend should feel privileged, and not just the players and coaches, but everyone covering the event. I think we are all very lucky."