Price unlikely to play at worlds, Suzuki open if asked by Team Canada

After making his return to NHL action, Carey Price is not expecting to return to the international stage in the near future.

The Montreal Canadiens goaltender said Monday it's unlikely he will play in next month's IIHF World Championship, even though he has always wanted to take part in the annual tournament.

Price's teammate Nick Suzuki said he would consider playing at the tournament in Finland, if asked by team Canada.

#Habs Price says it’s unlikely that he’ll play in the World Championship even though he’s always wanted to take part in the tournament. @TSN_Edge

Price, 34, made his first start of the season on Saturday, turning aside 17 of 19 shots against the New York Islanders. He said Monday how many more games he plays this season will be a day-to-day assessment, adding that his conditioning can still improve.

Price posted a 12-7-5 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and .901 save percentage during the 2020-21 regular season and played 22 games during the Canadiens' playoff run, going 13-9-0 with a  2.28 GAA and .924 save percentage, leading Montreal to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1993.

#Habs Price says he is still getting over the Cup Final loss after trying so hard to get there for 14 years. The difficult part: “Being so close yet so far away.”

The Anahim Lake, B.C. native has spent his entire 15-year career with the Canadiens, winning the Hart Memorial and Vezina Trophies in 2015. His 360 career victories are 21st all-time among NHL goaltenders and second among active players behind Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's 517.