Site icon Side Action

Carey Price Opens Up On Struggles With Substance Abuse In Recent Years

Longtime Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price sent out a statement, opening up about some substance abuse issues he's been tackling this offseason

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (31) plays against the Vegas Golden Knights during Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup semifinal playoff series Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price made a revelation on Tuesday afternoon.

Over the past few years, Price admitted that he has been battling some struggles with substance abuse. And during the offseason, Price decided it was time to check himself in to a treatment facility.

[SideAction-ad-group]

“Over the last few years, I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn’t have the tools to cope with that struggle,” Carey Price wrote on Instagram. “Last month I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance abuse. Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do, and it was what I needed to do.

“I am working through years of neglecting my own mental health which will take some time to repair; all I can do is take it day by day. With that comes some uncertainty on when I will return to play.

“I appreciate all the overwhelming support and well wishes. I please ask that the media and our hockey community continue to respect our privacy at this time. Your support and respect of this so far has been critical to my recovery.”

Carey Price also underwent treatment on an injured knee during the offseason. And on Tuesday, he checked in with the Canadiens and met with teammates, coaches and doctors for the first time all year.

“It was good for me to see him and see how he is doing,” Habs head coach Dominique Ducharme said. “And for the guys too, to see their teammate back. We have a group of guys that care about each other, so having him back, just on the personal side, the guys feel pretty good about seeing him and seeing that he is doing good.”

It’s still not clear when Carey Price will return to the ice. But his return to Montreal is a good sign, and we’ll continue to hope for him to get better mentally.

Props to Carey for sharing his story.


Welcome to the game outside the game! Follow us on our Sideaction Twitter handle, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest on sports and pop culture news across the web!