Carey Price

Big winner Price inspires with tribute to Aboriginal heritage in Vezina speech

Published Jun. 25, 2015 12:37 p.m. ET

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Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was the star of the NHL Awards on Wednesday, as he took home four trophies from the event. But Price also delivered one of the most inspiring acceptance speeches of the evening.

Price grew up in Anahim Lake, British Columbia, a mostly Aboriginal community 850 kilometers north of Vancouver. He took a moment after winning the Vezina Trophy (honoring the league's best goaltender) to encourage others from his community to remain proud of their heritage.

"I would like to take a moment to encourage First Nations youth," Price said. "A lot of people would say it's very improbable that I'd make it to this point in my life. I made it here because I wasn't discouraged. I worked hard to get here, took advantage of every opportunity that I had. And I would 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."

This is not the first time Price honored his heritage on a big stage. Earlier this season, Price invited a young boy named Trent Leon to travel from Anahim Lake to Montreal, paying for the boy's first-class trip and giving him an opportunity to meet his NHL hero. Leon brought a pile of thank you cards from the children of the community who receive daily breakfasts as part of a program sponsored by Price, and a video shows Price moved to tears by the gesture.

So it is not surprising that, despite the shine of four new trophies, Price kept his roots in mind.

"I just wanted to share a word of encouragement," Price told the media during his post-awards press conference. "It can be difficult when you're in an isolated community. You might not see much hope. I just wanted to let them know that anything is possible."

(h/t Huffington Post)

Photo credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

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Carey Price

Montreal Canadiens

National Hockey League