Price: 'Equal optimism, pessimism' for NHL restart

Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has his concerns about the NHL potentially restarting the 2019-20 season.

Price has seen the effects of coronavirus after a close friend's mom passed away from it. He's also concerned about leaving his pregnant wife Angela and two daughters to move to a hub city, since he doesn't expect them to travel to the city even if players' families are allowed to be with them.

On a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Price said he has an "equal amount of optimism and pessimism" about the NHL restarting the season.

"It's a very unusual situation," he said. "I want the opportunity to be able to play for a Stanley Cup, but I want to be able to continue living life normally."

The NHL and NHLPA have yet to formally agree to resume play this summer, and a vote won't happen until both sides iron out more details, like where the games would be played and if players would be allowed to have their families with them. Right now, Price said he doesn't have enough information about the NHL's return-to-play plan to know if he'd vote in favor of restarting.

"I would tell you that I probably wouldn't be comfortable voting at this particular time," Price said. "There's still a lot of questions that need to be answered. We have obviously a unique situation right now. The NHL and the NHLPA are trying to make the best of a very difficult situation. Moving forward I'd like to play, but we have a lot of questions that need to be answered and a lot of scenarios that need to be covered before I could vote yay or nay.”

Price has yet to return to Montreal for the Canadiens' informal skates as part of Phase 2 of the NHL's plan, and is waiting until more progress is made in the return-to-play situation before he returns. He's in Washington state, where he's been able to work out of the facility of the Tri-City Americans, his former WHL team. He's able to skate on his own, but said that there hasn't been "a lot of opportunity to wrangle in some shooters" in Washington.

If any players choose to not return for the playoffs due to health concerns, Price said that he doesn't believe any players would think less of a player for making that choice.

"I'd have nothing but respect for that person," he said. "It would be a very difficult decision to make."

If the NHL season does resume -- and Price made sure to include that qualifier -- Price is looking forward to the opportunity to potentially be a difference maker, starting with the qualifying-round matchup against the Penguins.

"It's a great opportunity, if we play, for me to come into a playoff scenario well-rested," Price said. "It's always plausible that great goaltending wins you championships."