2026 is a year that Carey Price and his family won't soon forget. As his contract expired in the National Hockey League, allowing him to officially retire from professional hockey, Price got the word that he'll be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November as part of the Class of 2026.
"Thanks guys. I wasn't prepared for that," an emotional Carey Price said back in June. "I am incredibly honoured you guys, thank you so much. Thank you for the call. I can't wait to call my parents and talk to my family about that."
As is the case with every Montreal Canadien that is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Price will have his name put into the team's Ring of Honour, which is located at the top of the 300 level at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens' Ring of Honour was introduced as part of the team's centennial celebrations during the 2008-09 season.
Fans have been wondering if the Montreal Canadiens will retire Carey Price's jersey at some point in the near future. The Anahim Lake, British Columbia native is set to be honoured by the Canadiens prior to their game on Tuesday, November 10th against the Minnesota Wild and it felt natural that the club could raise his number 31 to the rafters that night.
That won't be happening and it's unlikely that Price's number 31 will be retired anytime soon, according to Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson.
Too Soon For Carey Price Jersey Retirement, Geoff Molson Says
During a media availability at a golf tournament earlier this week, Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson spoke about a number of topics, from the contract situations regarding Zachary Bolduc & Arber Xhekaj to the potential of the club playing an outdoor game in the city and even touched on the possibility of Carey Price's jersey being retired.
According to Molson, it's too early to talk about retiring Carey Price's number 31 and that the organization is not discussing it. Molson went on to praise Price for being who he describes as one of the best goaltenders in the world during his time in the National Hockey League.
"It's too early for that now and we're not discussing it. He was among the best goalkeepers in the world while he was playing and we're very proud of him," Molson said according to RDS.
You can make arguments for and against a jersey retirement for Carey Price and for most fans, there's only one real "con" - that he has no Stanley Cup to his name.
It's a fair argument, given that every single other name hanging from the Bell Centre rafters have hoisted the Stanley Cup over their head in their respective careers. From Howie Morenz to Maurice Richard to Jean Beliveau to Guy Lafleur and many others. They all have Stanley Cups and frankly, that's the Canadiens' requirement for retiring a jersey number.
Could the Montreal Canadiens Break That Requirement For Carey Price?
If there's any player or goaltender that the Canadiens could break their Stanley Cup requirement for, it's Carey Price. Price's numbers speak for themselves and if it wasn't for the former Hart Trophy winner, the Canadiens likely wouldn't have reached the Eastern Conference Final in 2014 and the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, losing the latter in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 39-year-old appeared in 712 games with the Montreal Canadiens, finishing his career with a 361-261-79 record, 2.51 goals against average, .917 save percentage and 49 shutouts. His 361 wins are the most among any goaltender in Montreal Canadiens history, 47 more than the legendary Jacques Plante.
2014-15 was undoubtedly the best season of Carey Price's NHL career. Price took home the Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Trophy, Vezina Trophy, William M. Jennings Trophy and was named a first team all-star at the conclusion of the season. In 2025, Price was named to both Montreal's and the NHL's quarter century teams, which further highlighted his impact on the game of hockey from the start of his career to the end.
Another argument in favour of having Carey Price's jersey number retired is, as mentioned earlier, his ability to carry this franchise on his back when they needed him the most. With all due respect to the players that were on the Montreal Canadiens during Carey Price career, the team never really had a superstar. P.K. Subban, Shea Weber and even Max Pacioretty were all elite, in their own right, while players like Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki were only just entering the league towards the latter stages of Price's career.
Despite only having one 80+ point player during his tenure - Alexei Kovalev in 2007-08 - Price led the Canadiens to four division titles and ten appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Without Carey Price, those numbers would look a lot different.
While a jersey retirement isn't in the cards right now for Carey Price, the Montreal Canadiens should absolutely consider doing so within the next five years, in my honest opinion.