Reflecting on Carey Price’s Legacy

Kevin Woodley | Co-Founder & Managing Editor — InGoal Magazine | November 5, 2022 | 4 min read

Co-founder and Managing Editor of InGoal Magazine. NHL.com correspondent covering the Vancouver Canucks and author of the Unmasked series. Previously with the Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and The Hockey News.

Casey DeSmith (Pittsburgh Penguins) grew up idolizing Carey Price despite being an American, showing Price's influence crossed national borders.
Price is credited by NHL goalies for mastering every aspect of goaltending — technique, quickness, shot-reading, and reactions — as a complete package.
Carter Hart and Eric Comrie have both publicly discussed how Price's play and personality shaped their own development as NHL goalies.
International Goalie Day, celebrated November 1, marks the anniversary of Jacques Plante first wearing a goalie mask in an NHL game.
Price's legacy extends beyond wins and stats — his equipment choices and innovative gear-wearing techniques also moved the needle in goaltending culture.

Carey Price is still holding out hope for a medical “miracle” that will allow him to overcome the knee injury that has prevented him from playing this season, but even if the long-time Montreal Canadiens superstar never plays in the NHL again, his legacy will live on through all the goalies he inspired to play.

From the way he played, to the equipment he chose and some of the innovative ways he wore it, no one moved the needle in the goalie world like Price.

With that in mind, InGoal is celebrating the fifth anniversary of International Goalie Day, a holiday created by one of our own on November 1 in honour of Jacque Plante first donning a mask on that date, with a series of stories featuring the goalies that Price has inspired with his play. It started with Philadelphia Flyers star Carter Hart talking about his experiences emulating and meeting Price and continued with Eric Comrie of the Buffalo Sabres sharing first-hand insights into how Price’s personality impacted his playing style. It’s no surprise Price inspired Canadian goalies, but today we show how his impact also crossed the border with New Hampshire native Casey DeSmith of the Pittsburgh Penguins.