As a junior, Pat Price was a dominant force on the blueline of the Saskatoon Blades from 1970 to 1974. During that time, references to the next Bobby Orr were not uncommon. As such, he was selected 11th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1975 Amateur Draft.
But Price opted instead to join the Vancouver Blazers of the WHA where remuneration was significantly higher than in the NHL. He signed as an untested rookie for $ 1.3 million. The Blazers would have fared better, however, had they tested their new recruit before leaving a pile of money at his door. Price's performance was disappointing: the junior moves he'd used so successfully in Saskatoon simply didn't work at the WHA level.
Price slipped out of town the following year with his money and took the Islanders up on their offer. But again, his inability to adapt his junior talent to the NHL landed him in the minors before he finally caught on with the parent club, albeit not without controversy. In his fourth season with the club, he was benched by coach Al Arbour during a playoff run. In response, Price demanded a trade, noting that his four years with the club had been a waste of his time.
His wish was quickly granted as he was dispatched to the Edmonton Oilers where he played for two seasons before moving on to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a year and a half. He then landed in Quebec with the Nordiques where, not long after his arrival, his career fell into jeopardy at the hands of a rare disease. From origins unknown, he'd been stricken with an extremely rare form of viral encephalitis that causes brain inflammation and can kill. Fortunately, he pulled through and resumed what amounted to the most stable stint of his pro career. He never realized the promise he'd shown in his youth, but he did settle in as an effective blueliner with a playmaker's touch.
Price left the Nordiques in 1986-87 to join the Rangers for a brief spell before rounding out his NHL career with the Minnesota North Stars later that same year.
