Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price has opened up on his leave of absence from the club saying he struggled with substance use issues after entering a “very dark place”



Price detailed his struggles in an Instagram post Tuesday afternoon. 



“Over the last few years I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn’t have the tools to cope with that struggle,” Price wrote. “Last month I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance use. Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do. And it was what I needed to do.



“I am working through years of neglecting my own mental health which will take some time to repair; all I can do is take it day by day. With that comes some uncertainty with when I will return to play.<div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="167"></div>



“I appreciate all of the overwhelming support and well wishes. I please ask that the media and our hockey community continue to respect our privacy at this time. Your support and respect of this so far has been a critical piece to my recovery.”



The 34-yer-old netminder entered the program on Oct. 7th, and has since returned to the Habs. Earlier Tuesday, head coach Dominique Ducharme laid out the steps for Price to rejoin the team. 



Ducharme said Price will begin with gym work, before training alone on-ce before working with Habs goalie coach Eric Raymond. Then, Ducharme said, Price will be ready to join the club for full practices. 



The timeline for Price’s return is still undetermined.<hr>
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at<a href="http://www.twitter.com/zjlaing"> @zjlaing</a>, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.
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