by Shannon Penfound, Staff Writer and Event Coordinator, All Habs Hockey Magazine

WINNIPEG, MB. — There is no doubt among Habs fans regarding Carey Price and his undeniable ability to protect the net. Following his best season in the NHL, Price was instrumental in helping the Canadiens land themselves in the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The main question on a lot of fans’ minds is: Who is going to back-up Price this season?

Peter Budaj is the natural choice. Budaj has been a solid back-up to Price and has just one year left on his contract with the Habs. His net-minding skills, as well as his ability to mentor the younger players on the team, helps to make Budaj an attractive back-up goalie. The veteran is well-liked by his teammates and is generally able to perform in big-game situations. When Budaj was relegated to the bench following Price’s injury during the third round against the Rangers, he gave the young Dustin Tokarski some amazing emotional support. Not once did Budaj complain or mope about being the back-up to Tokarski.

In fact, Price had the following to say regarding Budaj at the end of this past season,

“It’s definitely a tough spot. Peter Budaj is one of the genuinely nicest human beings I’ve ever met. He’s an unbelievable backup. He’s one of the best friends I have on this team. He showed a lot of character. He never hung his head. He never pouted, and he showed the utmost support for everybody, including Dustin. It takes a special person to do that.¹” — Carey Price

Budaj, soon to be 32-years old, finished the 2013-2014 season with a 10-8-3 record and a .909 save percentage. Unfortunately, Budaj’s last showing was subpar, to say the least. Coming off of a month-long break from the ice, Budaj allowed three goals in only eight shots. It was an unfortunate game, one in which Budaj stepped into the net with Price facing a season-ending injury, a battled & bruised team in front of him, and a 4-0 deficit. Following game one of the third round, Michel Therrien announced that Dustin Tokarski would start in net for the Canadiens, and Budaj understood, “Decisions like this are not easy. I respect their decision².”

Thankfully for Habs fans, Dustin Tokarski more than stepped up and gave his team quite the fighting chance. Tokarski is only 25 years old, but has already had an illustrious playing career. Tokarski has helped his teammates to win the Telus Cup, the Memorial Cup, and the Calder Cup. Alongside fellow Canadien, P.K. Subban, Tokarski attended the 2009 World Junior Championships and helped lead his team to a gold medal. Regarding the World Junior Championships, Tokarski further showed his ability to perform under pressure by saying, “It’s all about battling, people can put you down and say you’re not good enough, but if you believe in yourself, you can do anything³.”

Though the Habs did not make it to the Finals this past season, Tokarski was brilliant in net and certainly showed Habs fans why he deserves a spot on the Montreal bench. Jon Cooper, Tokarski’s coach with the Norfolk Admirals, could not agree more, “It (Stanley Cup Playoffs) was his big chance and he proved that he was an NHL goaltender.⁴”

Tokarski began his pro career with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization but was brought to the Canadiens in a trade for Cedrick Desjardins on Febraury 14, 2013. This past season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, he boasted a 20-16-3 record and a .919 save percentage. Admittedly, Tokarski is on the small side, standing at only 5’11”. However, what he lacks in height, he more than makes up for in speed, agility, and passion.

“There are big and tall goaltenders who are exceptional and incredible athletes. At the same time, there are guys who aren’t six-foot-three who have it too. Carey Price is six-foot-three and he’s probably one of the best, if not the best goaltender in the world right now. He’s got good size and excellent mobility. He’s incredible. On the other hand, look at Tim Thomas. He’s five-foot-eleven and holds save percentage records, has a Stanley Cup title, and a Vezina Trophy. Everything comes down to stopping the puck, and everyone is different and goes about it differently.⁴“– Dustin Tokarski

For such a young goaltender, Tokarski’s ability to remain calm during huge-game situations, as well as his ability to collect himself following a poor play, is unwavering. In fact, he kind of reminds me of another certain cool, calm and  collected netminder we have all grown to love. Price commented on Tokarski’s level of play at the end of the season by saying, “…he did a great job. That’s probably one of the hardest jobs you can ask a guy to do. He really excelled. He showed why he’s won at different levels.^1″

Tokarski will need to clear waivers in order to play in Hamilton again this season, which means he is at risk to be picked up by another team. However, if the Montreal brass decides to take a chance on Tokarski, Budaj will most certainly be shipped elsewhere. At today’s golf tournament, GM Marc Bergevin was asked about Tokarski’s waiver status and joked, “It’s a little tricky when a guy needs waivers, but so does Peter. He needs waivers too.”

With some other amazing talent coming up in the ranks, like Zachary Fucale, Mike Condon, and this year’s 6^th round draft pick Hayden Hawkey, the future of Montreal’s goaltenders is a bright one. Price still has a few years left on his six-year contract and you can bet that he will come back stronger than ever this season. It isn’t a question of if we have a goaltender who is skilled and poised enough to take on being the back-up to one of the best goaltenders in the league today. The question is: out of the two forerunners, who is the best choice?

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As a side note, I want to take a minute to thank Saku Koivu on his many wonderful contributions to the game of hockey, as well as his humanitarian efforts. Koivu has always held a special place in my heart & is a big reason as to why I am a Habs fan today. Merci beacoup, Saku! Vous serez toujours un Canadien!

1. Han, J. (2014, May 31). Summertime Sadness. Retrieved from http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=721376#&navid=MTL-search
2. Montreal Canadiens. (2014, May 31). What they said: Peter Budaj. Retrieved from http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=29773#&navid=MTL-search
3. TSN Staff. (2009, June 1). Canada Defeats Sweden to Win Fifth Straight WJHC Gold. Retrieved from http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/story/?id=262055
4. Fontaine, H. (2014). Coming Up Clutch. Canadiens, 28.5, 54-69.