Carey Price releases heartbreaking update on his status

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will not be playing this season, as he's recently been placed on LTIR due to complications from a nagging knee injury for which he underwent surgery. Additionally, after he checked himself into the NHL's Player Assistance Program, he was awarded the Bill Masteron Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to hockey.

But during a recent interview with The Athletic, Price revealed that he may be on the verge of OAT surgery, otherwise known as an Osteochondral Autograft Transfer.

“I have a large hole in the cartilage of my knee, basically where my knee impinges,” Price explained. “They would basically take a plug of bone and cartilage out of a lower-wear area in my knee, and then place that plug into the damaged area in my knee. So it’s pretty intrusive.”

Though Price hasn't made the decision to officially hang up the pads, the chances of him returning to the ice appear bleak. But his hockey career isn't what's at the forefront of his mine - right now, it's just simply trying to live a pain free normal existence. 

“I’m just kind of taking it step by step, really,” Price said. “Again, my knee still isn’t doing great. Like, I’m still not walking up a set of stairs pain-free yet. I still don’t feel like my knee’s in a place where I’m going to be able to play hockey. I still am getting swelling in my knee, even in my day-to-day living. It’s not a great-looking outlook as far as a hockey career when you’re struggling to get up and down stairs.