"Not having that looming over the start allows you to, I wouldn't say relax, but be a little more comfortable going into the year," he said.
Price certainly looked relaxed and comfortable on the ice Sunday with the 18 goalies -- 17 boys and one girl -- who bid for the chance to spend a day training with him, his father, Jerry Price, and goaltending coach Eli Wilson in the British Columbia interior. After sitting down with the kids, who came from as far as Prince Edward Island and Colorado, for breakfast, Price led them through an off-ice warmup that included static stretching and dynamic movements, and then shared a locker room as they all got geared up and ready for the first of two on-ice sessions.
Price demonstrated the drills with Wilson, who was Ottawa Senators goaltending coach from 2007-2010, moving with the same power and effortless efficiency that helped him win the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2014-15, and be a finalist for the Vezina last season. Price then helped coach the kids through each drill, sometimes weighing in 1-on-1 with technical advice, other times with a quick pep talk and words of encouragement.
Between the two on-ice sessions, Price sat down with NHL.com to reflect on the offseason changes in Montreal, including the departure of veteran defenseman Andrei Markov, who
returned to Russia
to play in the Kontinental Hockey League.