Carey Price is planning on returning to the Montreal Canadiens net this season, and will even travel with the team to Toronto this weekend. Though he won’t play, he told John Lu of TSN that he never even considered shutting down for the year.
Price also told Lu that his concussion symptoms were “different…more noticeable” than his previous experience with the injury in 2012, which shouldn’t instill much excitement in Montreal fans. Price is easily the most important piece for the Canadiens going forward, especially given that he is starting an eight-year, $84MM extension next season. Obviously no one can predict his health going forward, but the team needs him injury-free if they’re to turn around what has been a disaster year.
- Tim Leiweke was already the President of the Oak View Group, the investing group that has applied for an expansion team in Seattle. Yesterday on the Fan 590 in Toronto, he admitted that he will also be a minority owner of that team should it be awarded. Leiweke has ties to Toronto as the former CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and other professional sports organizations. Before that, Leiweke was also CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owned the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Galaxy. Needless to say he has quite a bit of experience in professional sports front offices, and now joined by his brother will be able to set up the business side of a Seattle franchise well for the long-term.
- Louis Belpedio is expected to eventually sign his entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild, but for now will just settle for an amateur tryout with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. The third-round pick could wait until the middle of August and become an unrestricted free agent after completing his college career this month, but has already begun discussions with Minnesota.