Price: 'I am working through years of neglecting my own mental health'

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price released a statement Tuesday after rejoining the team following his voluntary participation in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

"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. Last month I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance use," he said in an Instagram post. "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 with when I will return to play.

"I appreciate all of 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 a critical piece to my recovery."

Price missed all of training camp while recovering from offseason knee surgery and entered the player assistance program on Oct. 7.

Head coach Dominique Ducharme laid out the conditioning steps for Price's potential return earlier on Tuesday, according to TSN's John Lu.

After the Canadiens' 3-2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night, Ducharme emphasized the importance of patience when it comes to Price's recovery.

"We cannot rush anything on the personal side," he said. "We will monitor the mental side and the physical side so when (Price) comes back, he's 100%."

Some of Price's teammates also addressed the 34-year-old's statement after the game.

"We talked to (Price) this morning," Montreal winger Tyler Toffoli said. "It's extremely powerful and there's a reason why he attracts people around him. He's a quality human being."

Habs defenseman Ben Chiarot added that Price's family is most important.

"To be honest, the hockey part you don't even care," he said. "(He's) a brave man to come out and face his fears. It's not easy for guys to do that. I'm proud to call him a friend."

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