Stephane Waite, Price's former coach and personal friend, addresses rumours circulating the internet

While it's only been a few hours since the NHL announced that Carey Price was taking a leave from the Montreal Canadiens and entering the league's Players Assistance Program, rumours have been flying on the internet about why this has happened. The only person who has said anything about Price's reasons for leaving has been his wife Angela, who mentioned mental health in a statement she made Thursday morning. Price's former goaltending coach and close personal friend Stephane Waite appeared on RDS Thursday and addressed the unsubstantiated rumours that have been making their rounds.

"Hear me right. Carey Price's situation has nothing to do with alcohol, nothing to do with drugs, nothing to do with pills and nothing to do with gambling," said Waite. "Carey is someone who takes great care of his body and leads a quiet life with his family. On the other hand, he is very demanding of himself and sometimes it can become difficult to deal with all this pressure to perform."

"He told me this summer that he found it extremely difficult to get this far in the playoffs and come so close to the Stanley Cup without winning it," Waite continued. "It was a very difficult summer for him, besides his surgery. I texted him today to tell him that I was really proud of him for having the courage to take charge of his sanity like that. I'm sure he'll get through this test and will come back in great shape."

Being a professional athlete in any sport can come with a ton of pressure. In Montreal, hockey is king and the pressure can be greatly intensified when playing there. Then, add in the fact that Price is a goaltender on a team that has a history of great goalies, some of the greatest to ever play the game in fact. Names like Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden, Jacques Plante, Gump Worsley, Georges Vezina, etc. Price isn't just playing in one of the most high-pressure cities in sports, he's also playing in one of, if not the most high-pressure position in any city and any sport. Nothing less than greatness is expected for Canadiens' goaltenders.

Related: HABS GM MARC BERGEVIN TRIES VERY HARD TO HOLD BACK TEARS WHILE DISCUSSING CAREY PRICE

ANGELA PRICE RELEASES STATEMENT AFTER HER HUSBAND ENTERS PLAYERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Source: RDS.ca

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