On Wednesday, Carey Price dominated the National Hockey League Awards night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 27-year-old Montreal Canadiens goaltender took home the Hart and Vezina trophies for most valuable player and best goaltender. He also won the Ted Lindsay award for most outstanding player as voted by his fellow NHL players, and shared the Jennings trophy for the best goals against average.
Carey Price, a member of the Ulkatcho First Nation, grew up in Anahim Lake, British Columbia. On this night of recognition for his improbable achievement of scaling the heights of hockey superstardom, Price made it clear he hasn’t forgotten where he came from. He dedicated the majority of his Vezina acceptance speech to delivering a message of encouragement to First Nations youth.
"I want to take a moment to encourage First Nations youth. A lot people would say it’s very improbable that I would make it to this point in my life, and I’ve made it here because I wasn’t discouraged. I’ve worked hard to get here and took advantage of every opportunity that I had. I’d really like to encourage First Nations youth to be leaders in their communities, be proud of your heritage, and don’t be discouraged from the improbable. Sunachailya. Thank you."