Shot Left Height 1.88 m Position Defenseman Role Ice hockey player Career end 1988 | Name Pat Price Career start 1974 Playing career Weight 88 kg | |
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Born March 24, 1955 (age 69)
Nelson, BC, CAN ( 1955-03-24 ) NHL Draft 11th overall, 1975
New York Islanders WHA Draft 1st overall, 1974
Vancouver Blazers Played for World Hockey Association, Vancouver Blazers | ||
Shaun Patrick Price (born March 24, 1955 in Nelson, British Columbia) is a Canadian retired former professional ice hockey player who played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Vancouver Blazers and the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Quebec Nordiques, New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars.
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Career
Price was a highly touted junior star with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), scoring 95 points – despite being a defenceman – in the 1973–74 WCHL season. In the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft, Price was drafted number one overall by the Vancouver Blazers. The WHA had trouble holding onto its draft picks, who often went to the more established NHL teams, but the Blazers landed the untested rookie with a contract offer of $1.3 million ($6.4 million today).
Price did not meet the Blazer's expectations, scoring only 34 points in the 1974–75 WHA season, so he jumped to the NHL when drafted 11th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft. Price spent most of that season in the minor leagues, as he learned to adapt to the professional game.
Price became an NHL regular in 1976–77, and played three seasons with the Islanders before he was claimed by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft.
Despite the original expectation that he should be a scoring defenceman with Vancouver in his rookie season, Price grew to be a balanced professional, playing 726 total NHL games over 13 seasons, scoring 43 goals and 218 assists before retiring in 1988.
Retirement
After retiring, Price returned to his hometown of Nelson BC. In the early 2000s, Price became a volunteer coach of a local junior hockey team and led them to the Provincials in their 1997–98 season.