Sochi, Russia (SportsNetwork.com) - Goaltender Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens will start in net Thursday when Canada opens play in the men's hockey tournament at the Sochi Olympics.
Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock made the announcement Wednesday, saying that Price would start the opener against Norway, while Vancouver Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo will get the nod for the reigning Olympic champions on Friday against Austria.
Price is 26-17-5 with a .925 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average over 48 NHL games for Montreal this season. Luongo, a member of the 2010 gold- medal winning squad, is 19-16-6 with a .917 save percentage and 2.38 GAA through 42 games with the Canucks in 2013-14.
Canada outlasted the United States in the gold-medal game at the Vancouver Games when Sidney Crosby scored the winner in overtime.