Gallagher and Price decline team canada invitations
The Canadiens’ Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher have both told Hockey Canada they’re not interested in playing at the IIHF World Championship this year, but for different reasons.
“I’m not going to be going,” Price said after practice Thursday at the Bell Centre. “I want to spend time with my family . ... I just want to take the time with my family. That’s the only reason.”
Said Gallagher: “They asked yesterday. I won’t be going this year. The body’s a little banged up here.”
The Canadiens, who have a 2837-12 record heading into Saturday’s game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh (7 p.m., SN360, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690) won’t be in the playoffs this season and one of the big reasons is a subpar performance by Price, who has a 16-24-6 record with a 3.07 goalsagainst average and a .902 save percentage. The goalie battled chronic fatigue early in the season and later missed games with a lower-body injury and a concussion.
Gallagher has been the biggest bright spot for the Canadiens, scoring a career-high 30 goals and leading the team with 49 points while playing in all 77 games after breaking his left hand in each of the previous two seasons.
“This year I’ve been healthy, which is a good thing, obviously,” Gallagher said. “But part of playing every game is you’re going to get bumps and bruises and a few things that you just can’t take care of when you’re playing every day. So I think for me you got to think of your team first. It’s pretty important for me to just go back (home) in the summer, rest up, take care of those things and put in a full summer of training and be ready for next year.
“I think, first and foremost, my obligations are to the Montreal Canadiens here and you got to take care of your body and make sure that I’m ready to go 100 per cent next year.”
Jonathan Drouin said he hasn’t been asked yet to play for Team Canada at the world championship, slated for May 4-20 in Denmark, but would go if the call comes. Alex Galchenyuk has been invited to play for Team USA but hasn’t decided yet if he will go.
When Claude Julien was asked about Price’s decision not to play, the coach replied: “All I’m going to say on that … you know what I’m going to say … it’s his decision. When it comes to that stuff, we don’t have any say and we let the players decide. So it’s up to them.”
Julien added he has not yet received an invitation to be part of the Team Canada coaching staff.
Price won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2014 Olympics, while Gallagher won gold with Team Canada two years ago at the world championship after the Canadiens missed the playoffs.
“If I was healthy, I’d love to go,” Gallagher said. “I think it’s a really good opportunity when you get a chance to play for your country.”
When asked if he would let reporters know what his injuries are once the season is over, Gallagher smiled and said: “Of course not.”