Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price on Saturday condemned the C-21 gun control law and supported the Gun Rights Coalition. Could his position affect the Habs’ image?
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“When we see athletes who are politically involved, they often only want to get into politics after their careers have ended. But when it comes to controversial issues like firearms, it’s really exceptional,” says Jean Gosselin, director of communications and marketing at the Institut national du Sport du Québec.
Is Carey Price allowed to speak on such a sensitive subject while still under contract with the Habs?
“All Canadian citizens have the right to speak out on the affairs of their country. There are usually team rules in order not to cause controversy. The athletes of the teams function with the capital of sympathy granted by the partisans. Citizen Price could come to use his sympathy capital. You have to see how the team reacts,” explains Mr. Gosselin.
“Regardless of the organization, we don’t like controversy. It will be more of a distraction from the team in the short term than unfortunate consequences,” he adds.
According to the expert, the main consequence will be for Carey Price.
“Will he be able to change people’s minds? That remains to be seen. We loved him for something else and he just added something to his personality. Will he still be welcome as an ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens?” asks Jean Gosselin.