WHL: Carey Price QA

We caught up with Tri City goalie Carey Price and asked him to give us the inside scoop on his young career. He discusses how great it has been having Olaf Kolzig as a mentor this year, his U-18 gold medal collected over the summer, as well as a wide variety of other subjects.

WHL

McKeen's: Your dad, Jerry, played in the WCHL for the Calgary Centennials & Portland Winter Hawks (1974-1978) – also as a goalie. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers (8th round, 126th overall) back in 1978. What has having a dad with this kind of background meant to your own career so far?

Carey Price: He's been my mentor. He's been through everything that I'm going through already and gives me all the advice that I need.

McKeen's: Is it true that when you started out – because of where you lived -- you and dad had to travel about 200 miles EACH WAY to practice and you did it three times a week? Talk about a dedicated player and supportive family!

Price: This is true. My dad and I had a lot of road trips together. We had to spend a lot of hours in the car.

McKeen's: You've been in the WHL a few years now. How has your overall game improved since you first took the ice in this league?

Price: I think it has improved a lot. I'm getting more familiar with the league. Just having that extra edge and knowing what's going on, not being uncertain about things anymore.

McKeen's: With the NHL lockout, Washington Caps goalie Olaf Kolzig has been tutoring both you and Jesse Deckert this season. Here's a guy who has won a Vezina Trophy and he used to play for Tri-City when he was in the WHL. How valuable has this experience been so far and what kinds of things has he talked to you about specifically?

Price: It's nice to have Olie here so I don't just have my dad to rely on, which can be tough since he's so far away. He (Kolzig) actually gets to analyze my game by being at the games and watching me on tape. He's been a big help to my game.

McKeen's: How often do you actually have contact with Kolzig? Does he go on the road with the team?

Price: He's usually just there at the home games and he's at practice three times a week, so he's always giving me pointers. We work on a lot of drills.

McKeen's: What kind of things has he specifically shown you this year that has been a big help?

Price: The biggest thing I thought was lateral movement. He helped me a lot with that. He's helped me with my positioning: challenging the shooter in crowds and a lot with staying on your feet a little bit more. He's helped me a lot overall.

McKeen's: What do you consider the biggest weakness in your game today and what are you doing to make it better?

Price: The biggest weakness in my game was lateral movement, but I've improved so much on it this year.

McKeen's: Which NHL goalies have you patterned your game after?

Price: I like to play the puck like Marty Turco.

McKeen's: Goaltending is obviously an important position. What do you think you specifically bring to your team?

Price: A little bit of leadership and a coolness factor. I don't get roughed up much… I stay pretty calm back there.

McKeen's: Do you study game film during the season to critique your own performance?

Price: We go over a lot of video during the year. After a game I'll bring home the tape and watch myself to see how I'm positioned, how I play the puck and just overall performance. It's a big help.

McKeen's: Any good NHL goalie will tell you they've developed a mental book on every shooter they face, to help know the tendencies of the opponent. What kind of specific things do you look for when you bank that info in your memory at the WHL level?

Price: You don't get much of a chance to watch other shooters, but you do remember them during the game. It makes it a little harder at this level, but you also get to see their tendencies during warm-up. I have friends on the team who have played with a lot of guys in this league, so they know all their moves from playing with them.

McKeen's: Name me a couple of goalies that you've seen head-to-head that just amazed you and tell me why they stood out in your mind.

Price: I was really impressed with Devan Dubnyk. He's a big, solid goaltender and he plays a really good technical game. Dustin Butler of Portland is a good one too.

McKeen's: Not counting your own teammates, who from around the league would you consider one of the most dangerous threats to score with the game on the line?

Price: I'd have to say Nigel Dawes. He's a really smart player. He knows where to be at the right time and place and he always positions himself well on the ice to score a goal.

McKeen's: In the McKeen's August/ September Top 75 rankings for the 2005 draft class, you placed 21st overall and then got bumped up to 14th in the November rankings. A lot can happen between now and the draft, but how special would it be to be taken in the first round?

Price: It's been a goal of mine since I first learned about the draft. It would be a real honor to go in the first round.

McKeen's: Have you and the guys on the team talked much about what might happen with the draft if there is no NHL season?

Price: We've talked about it a little, but I don't really worry about it too much. I'm just focused on my play right now and not worried about the future.

U-18

McKeen's:McKeen's: You were in the U-18 Tournament this summer, helping Canada to a gold medal. You played four of the five games for Canada and didn't lose any of them; including registering a shutout in the semi-finals against Team USA. You played the most minutes of any goalie and had an impressive 1.25 GAA and .945 SA%. What did the team do particularly well in this tourney and what do you think you contributed to that success?

Price: We had a really good team – a lot of talented forwards up front that kept putting the puck in the net. They did a good job of scoring the goals and I think we had some of the best D-men in the world on that team for that age. They did a really good job of boxing out guys and not letting them get those extra whacks at the puck, which really helped me out.

I thought I played the puck really well and also bonded with the guys quickly, which is a big thing in short tournaments.

McKeen's: Gilbert Brule: you saw the guy up close in this tournament and he scored four times for Canada. He has the scouts buzzing. In your mind, what makes this guy so good?

Price: He's a really smart player. I played with Gilbert in the BC junior leagues when we were both 15. He always knows what to work on in practice too. He works really hard and doesn't shy away from any physical play either. That's what makes him special, because he's a goal scorer as well.

McKeen's: Do you think playing in these kinds of international tournaments is a good idea? If so, why?

Price: It's always nice to represent your country. Having a chance to do that is really special. I like tournaments like that because you get to meet guys from different leagues and see talent that you wouldn't normally get to see.

McKeen's: Assuming things go well for you and you're playing in the NHL, would you represent Canada when called upon for the World Championships, World Cup, etc.?

Price: Definitely. I would never turn down an opportunity to represent my country.

OFF THE ICE

McKeen's: Tell me something interesting about yourself that the general public probably doesn't know.

Price: Well, I have a 90% average in school and I have a 2 handicap in golf. I guess I get to do a lot of that during the summer.

McKeen's: Video games?

Price: I shy away from those. I like movies though – we got to a lot of team movies.

McKeen's: What the best movie you've seen recently?

Price: The Grudge – that's a scary flick.

McKeen's: When you're not playing or practicing, what do you like to do aside from golf or movies?

Price: I play roller hockey, which is a little different than ice hockey.

McKeen's: Most goalies that also play roller hockey like to move out of the net to get a different perspective on the game. What position do you play?

Price: Center. It's more of a cardio workout that way too.

McKeen's: How have you been dealing with the challenge of staying on top of school work when you've got practice, games and travel?

Price: It's really tough to hit the books, especially when you're tired and you get home after practice and a long day and you think, whoa, I've got to do homework now? During the summer I do a few courses through correspondence to get ahead. I've had a lot of help from my counselors too.

McKeen's: How do you keep your focus on school? Obviously whatever you're doing is working, since you have a 90% average.

Price: You have to keep your goals in perspective too. If something happens that's out of your control and you can't play hockey, you have to have something to fall back on.

McKeen's: Have you given any thought to what you'd like to do if hockey didn't work out for some reason?

Price: I wouldn't mind being a teacher.

McKeen's: There's still a long time between now and the draft and we know you need to keep focused on the season at hand. Daydream for just a second though: what's the first thing you'd want to spend at least part of your first big league contract on and why?

Price: I don't know: probably something for my dad. He's worked so hard for me. He's always wanted a Harley, so I'd probably buy him one of those.

McKeen's: How often do you try to catch NHL games on TV?

Price: Last year I tried to, for sure. This year we're stuck with the old replays, although there have been some great Edmonton/ Calgary playoff battles on TV. It's interesting to see how differently hockey was played back then.

McKeen's: It's fair to say that the vast majority of players drafted at 18 years of age are not ready for the NHL right away. NHL teams generally have a better idea of a player's capabilities when they're a few years older. This is a bit of a loaded question for a guy who is in his draft year, but do you think the NHL should ever consider raising the draft eligibility age? What would be the pros and cons of that idea?

Price: I think 18 is a good age because once you get drafted you still get those few years to develop in whichever system you're drafted into.

One of the cons might be that you could lose your focus on what you're trying to do in your draft year. You might get preoccupied and pysched out with the draft. I've seen that before where a guy's play isn't as good because they're thinking about the draft; wondering what scouts are thinking and what not.

McKeen's: You were born in Canada and now you live and play hockey in the States part of the year. What are some of the cultural differences you've noticed between the two countries?

Price: Going to school, I think the biggest difference is just politics. Looking at the pictures of all the presidents on the walls wondering, "who the heck are these guys?" Other than the politics though, things are really similar between the two countries.