Hanes: Carey Price has revealed where his loyalties lie, and it's not pretty

It was bad enough when it seemed the Canadiens goalie had betrayed Montrealers by shilling for the gun lobby on the eve of the Polytechnique massacre's anniversary out of ignorance. But the truth is actually worse.

It’s hard to decide which would be more hurtful: that Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price could have lived in this city for 15 years and not known about the femicide that killed 14 women at École Polytechnique 33 years ago Tuesday, or that he did know full well and decided to post his opposition to new gun control legislation demanded by survivors of the tragedy on the eve of this painful anniversary anyway.

Either way, Price has offended Montrealers, who never fail to mourn and remember the massacre of Dec. 6, 1989. He has made the Canadiens organization look inept in its bungled attempts to cover for him. Above all, he cast a shadow over a day to commemorate the victims and denounce violence against women.

It all started over the weekend, when Price posted a picture of himself to Instagram sporting camouflage and cradling a rifle. He lamented that as a law-abiding family man who loves hunting, he’s being made to feel like a “criminal” by a proposed gun-control bill, called out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for wanting to take away his “hunting tools” and conspicuously tagged the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights.

Eyebrows were immediately raised about the timing. Many Montrealers aren’t against hunting, but the Polytechnique femicide has long been a catalyst for legislation to restrict firearms. And Bill C-21’s intent is to take aim at assault weapons.

But that was only the beginning of the betrayal of Habs fans — many of whom are women.

Price couldn’t even get his facts straight.

Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s office insisted the weapon Price was posing with is and will remain legal after the passage of the law. Trudeau piped in that no one is trying to restrict hunting rifles. The sidelined goalie seems to have fallen prey to what PolySeSouvient, an organization founded by survivors of the Montreal massacre, calls “misinformation” about Bill C-21, intended to get hunters riled up and undermine efforts to curb access to military-grade assault weapons.

Things got even worse when the Habs tried to explain away Price’s insensitivity by saying he simply wasn’t aware of the Polytechnique shooting.

That might fly if he was some newly arrived rookie from Slovakia. But if an event of such magnitude in Montreal had never registered in the consciousness of a Canadiens veteran who has been in Montreal since 2007, it would suggest a serious organizational failure regarding the duty to remember.

Nevertheless, it turns out that wasn’t even true. After the Habs apologized late Monday and made a donation to a summer camp for girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) run by Polytechnique, the star goaltender countered with a truth bomb Tuesday morning.

“Despite a previous statement released, I did in fact know about the tragedy,” Price said. “I have been a member of the (Montreal) community for 15 years and I understand the weight this day holds within the community.”

If that was supposed to make Montrealers feel better, the stunning admission had the opposite effect.

In one fell swoop, Price showed where his loyalties lie. He is selfishly choosing to put his support for the pro-gun lobby above the feelings of his fans. And he apparently isn’t worried about embarrassing his team while he languishes on the injury reserve list and questions swirl about whether he will ever be fit enough to play again.

His intervention suggests that he’s tuned out, doesn’t care anymore, or has way too much time on his hands.

The Canadiens must feel blindsided after Price contradicted the statement they issued to shield him. His coach Martin St. Louis and teammates also went out on a limb to make excuses for him: He’s such an avid hunter … he was just a toddler when it happened … his intentions were good …

All this reminds us of a much deeper problem in the culture of hockey. Stars are too often given the benefit of the doubt and rarely held to account, as the scandal at Hockey Canada recently brought to light.

Thanks to Price, the team’s attempt to rebuild trust in a city where hockey is a religion now looks rather hollow.

But back to No. 31’s own relationship with the fans who have supported him through thick and thin, from coming within a series of bringing the Stanley Cup home to his stint in the National Hockey League’s player assistance program.

Price soon tweeted that the timing of his post had nothing to do with Polytechnique and everything to do with the amendments that were just tabled to Bill C-21.

“My views are my own and I believe in them,” he tweeted Monday, doubling down. “I continue to stand beside my fellow hunters and sport shooters who have legally acquired our property and use in a safe manner.”

It doesn’t get much more political than that for a beloved sports figure — especially one who has been notoriously tight-lipped and terse over 15 years when it comes to making public statements and speaking to the media.

What’s upsetting is not so much Price’s divergent opinion, which he’s perfectly entitled to. It’s his use of his status with the Habs to amplify a message so at odds with prevailing attitudes in the city he plays in.

“I think the people of Montreal know my heart and my character and know I would never intentionally cause pain to those impacted by gun violence,” Price said.

There are likely many fans who aren’t so sure anymore.

ahanes@postmedia.com

1. 

   Herstories: Book honours 14 women killed at Polytechnique in 1989

2. 

   Allison Hanes: Setting the historical record straight on Polytechnique