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sports Diasabra 9 OctOber 2021

Montreal star Carey Price steps away for mental health help

(AP) — Canadiens goaltender program for at least 30 days. He said him to take a break from hockey specified illness. Price is also recover-
Carey Price has voluntarily en- the news caught him by surprise, but last spring during Montreal’s playoff ing from offseason surgery to repair a
tered the NHL/NHL Players’ As- he encouraged everyone to seek help push. torn meniscus.
sociation joint player assistance when needed.
program, a stunning announce- ”(It’s) the elephant in the room some- Price was extraordinary in leading
ment Thursday less than a week “Because your hockey career lasts so times. We don’t say anything and it’s the Canadiens on an unexpected run
before start of the season and just many years, but you have the rest of very personal,” Bergevin said. “I sa- to the Final over the summer, where
three months after the former your life — your kids, your family — lute (them for speaking out) and I’m they lost to Tampa Bay in five games.
NHL MVP backstopped Montre- that’s the most important thing,” he glad they did. If there’s other play- He won the Hart Trophy as league
al to the Stanley Cup Final. said. ers in the NHL who have different MVP and Vezina Trophy as top goal-
issues, whatever that is, I think the tender in 2015 and he has won Olym-
The league and players’ union said Canadian Prime Minister Justin NHL and NHLPA are really looking pic gold for Canada.
the 34-year-old Price will be away Trudeau tweeted his support of Price at the well-being of their players.”
from the team while he takes part on Thursday night. Montreal initially expected Price to
in the program. The union did not The NHL and NHLPA started the be ready for the start of camp. In-
specify why he entered the program, “Know that Canadians across the player assistance program in 1996, stead, the Canadiens are expected to
but Price’s wife, Angela, cited men- country are wishing nothing but the with players able to call a confidential start the season with Jake Allen and
tal health as a reason in an Instagram best for you, Carey — and we’re phone line. The jointly funded group Samuel Montembeault as their goal-
post showing Price and their three proud of you for taking care of your- assists players and their families with tending tandem with Cayden Prime-
children. self and putting your mental health mental health, substance abuse and au also available.
first,” Trudeau saideaid. “We’ve al- other matters. Counselors are avail-
“Part of the privilege of being in the ways rooted for you on the ice, and able in each NHL city. Montreal is already dealing with
position our family is in, is that we we’ll continue to root for you off the chane: Captain and veteran defense-
also get a public platform to show how ice.” Price’s announcement rippled across man Shea Weber is dealing with po-
there is and can be a path for anyone the NHL. tentially career-ending injuries. Phil-
who is struggling,” she wrote. “No The issue of mental health among lip Danault, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Co-
matter what is on the line, we hope professional and amateur athletes has “The amount of people this will im- rey Perry, Eric Staal and Tomas Tatar
we can communicate the importance grown in prominence over the past pact and help by a guy of this magni- have moved on.
of putting your mental health first year, with tennis star Naomi Osaka tude coming out and saying he needs
not just by saying it, but by showing and Olympic champion gymnast help will be astronomical,” said for- Montreal opens the season Oct. 13
up and doing the work to get better. Simone Biles among those both cit- mer Montreal forward Dale Weise. at archrival Toronto. Bergevin said
Carey’s showing up for himself and ing it as the reason they stepped away he believes the team has enough
our family and making the best pos- from certain competitions or events. The news comes a day after Cana- leadership in the locker room to get
sible decision for us.” The issue certainly familiar to the diens coach Dominique Ducharme through the adversity.
Canadiens. Star forward Jonathan said it would be unlikely that the
Canadiens general manager Marc Drouin has opened up about his anx- would be ready for the start of the “I do. I think we have a good group,”
Bergevin said Price would be in the iety and insomnia, which prompted season as he recovered from an un- he said.

Pepi scores 2 more goals, lifts US over Jamaica in qualifier

(AP) — Ricardo Pepi and the U.S., which outshot the June 2019 and decided just ing to come is going to come,
the young Americans Reggae Boyz 17-5. Pepi scored again when he before the start of qualifying and I feel like I have to be
saw a red, white and blue re-directed a cross from this summer to play for the ready for it.”
crowd, a scene seldom at Goalkeeper Matt Turner Brenden Aaronson past U.S. over Mexico. His sud-
past U.S. World Cup qual- rolled the ball to his right Blake with from 6 yards after den rise on the international Playing without injured at-
ifiers, then dominated flank, where Sergiño Dest Antonee Robinson quickly stage has sparked interest in tackers Christian Pulisic and
Jamaica behind the new ran onto it just outside his moved up the flank. European clubs interested in Gio Reyna, the 13th-ranked
18-year-old sensation and own penalty area. In a burst a transfer. U.S. improved to eight points
moved into first place. of about 10 seconds, Dest “It’s a special feeling being after four of 14 matches in
sprinted forward while tak- able to just score here in Tex- “I felt like it’s coming,” he the final round of the North
“We’re just sitting there and ing five touches and centered as,” Pepi said. said of all the attention. “I and Central American and
we’re on the train,” U.S. the ball to Yunus Musah, don’t know if it’s too fast or Caribbean region.
coach Gregg Berhalter said who was on the run. Pepi made his Major League if it’s too slow. I feel like it’s
Thursday night after Pepi Soccer debut for Dallas in coming and whatever is go-
scored in the 49th and 62nd Making his qualifying debut,
minutes in a 2-0 victory over Musah took four touches
Jamaica. “It’s amazing. I and dished wide to Dest,
mean, an 18-year-old gets an who one-timed a cross. Pepi
opportunity and takes advan- broke away from Lowe and
tage of it. What you see, and from about 8 yards glanced a
I think what I really like, he downward header that went
has this instinct, and it’s re- in on a bounce to the right of
ally hard to teach that that goalkeeper Andre Blake.
to players. And he has an in-
stinct to score.” “Jamaica was so compact, we
needed to go to the wings,”
Pepi, an El Paso native whose Pepi said. “We unlocked
goal broke a second-half tie at them.”
Honduras in his international
debut on Sept. 8, became the Americans took advantage of
youngest American to score space.
in consecutive qualifiers.
“We just didn’t quite get our
With family and friends in the press right,” Jamaica defend-
stands, he got the first goal er Adrian Mariappa said. “At
from a flowing movement as times just got a litte bit na-
good as can be produced by ive.”