Price golden in goal for Canadian juniors

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There can't be too many better feelings for a parent than having their child win a world championship.

Lynda Price is one of those parents. Her 19-year-old son Carey was a goaltender for the Canadian squad, which captured the gold medal at the world junior (under 20) hockey championships in early January in Sweden.

As proud of she is of her puck-stopping son, Lynda Price, who is the chief for British Columbia's Ulkatcho First Nation, is thrilled perhaps even more about the possible effects of Carey's accomplishment.

"A lot of times when people grow up on Indian reserves there's no hopes and dreams," she said. "But that's not the case anymore. And I guess Carey is considered a role model in our community."

That point was reinforced when the elder Price attended an economic development conference in Richmond, B.C. in mid-January.

"Chiefs were coming up to me and telling me that because of what Carey did their own children and grand-children now feel they can do anything too if they put their minds to it," she said.

Price, who's in his fourth season of stopping pucks for the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Tri-City Americans, returned with more than his share of hardware from the world tournament.

In fact, he was presented with the most prestigious award up for grabs. Price was deemed the most valuable player in the 10-nation tournament after backstopping Canada to six straight victories.

Price allowed just seven goals in those half dozen outings, giving him an impressive goals-against average of just 1.14.

Not surprisingly, Price was also the goaltender named to the tournament all-star team.

His hardware haul, however, didn't stop there.

Following Canada's 4-2 victory over Russia in the gold-medal match held on Jan. 5 in Leksand, Price was selected as his team's player of the game. He also received another award for being one of Canada's top three performers in the contest.

Upon returning to the Americans, based in Kennewick in the state of Washington, Price expressed amazement to reporters at the number of awards he was presented with.

"It was a shock to me," he said. "I couldn't have done it without all my teammates. Playing behind a team like that makes my job easy."

Canada was favoured to win another gold medal at the tournament. The Canadians had entered the event as the two-time defending champions.

And thanks in large part to Price, the squad advanced to the championship final again.

Price was considered the hero of the match as the Canadians edged the United States 2-1 in a semi-final game. This match was decided by a shootout that lasted seven, nerve-wracking rounds.

Canada prevailed in the lengthy shootout after Price stopped a shot by American Peter Mueller.

Even after he had returned home, Price felt it would be several months before he would fully realize the magnitude of his feats.

"That tournament is so draining emotionally, physically and mentally," he said. "It is a lot of work going over there, but definitely worth it. I have never put so much into anything before. There's no bigger thrill than to play for your country. I'm still numb. I don't think it will hit me until the ring ceremony in July."

Carey Price took his gold medal back to Kennewick to show well-wishers. But his mother, who had attended the world tournament along with her husband Jerry and their 15-year-old daughter Kayla Anais, took home his other awards. And she was eager to show them off as well.

"I took them to the band office," she said. "My whole community was just amazed. And they were in tears when it happened. It really encourages our young people."

The Price family is now awaiting to see what Carey's future holds. He's obviously hoping the Americans have a lengthy playoff run in what could be his final junior season (Price would be eligible to return to the WHL for a fifth year as an overager).

And he's also keen to ink his first pro contract. Price was the Montreal Canadiens' first-round pick, fifth over-ll, at the 2005 National Hockey League entry draft but he has yet to sign a pro deal. The Canadiens have until the end of May to sign Price or else he would become eligible to re-enter this year's draft in June.

"This is just the beginning," Lynda Price said. "Now we're waiting to see what happens next."

Though he has been highly regarded in the hockey community for some time, Carey Price shot to national prominence with his play at the world tournament.

"It's been a slow progression though," said his mother. "It seems most of Carey's life we've just been waiting to see what happens next."

The family has also made its share of sacrifices to further his hockey career.

Carey was born in Anahim Lake, B.C. but when he was 12 he moved with his father more than 300 kilometres away to Williams Lake in order to play a better quality of rep hockey.

Lynda Price remained in Anahim Lake with her daughter. She's been a band member for 15 years, a school board trustee and is in her second year serving as chief.

"That's kept me in the community," she said. "I feel it's important for me to be in the community with my people."