Goaltender Carey Price to play first game in nearly 10 months

Carey Price will play his first game in nearly 10 months on Friday, starting in goal for Canada's first World Cup of Hockey exhibition game against the United States in Columbus, Ohio.

OTTAWA (AP) Carey Price will play his first game in nearly 10 months on Friday, starting in goal for Canada's first World Cup of Hockey exhibition game against the United States in Columbus, Ohio.

"I don't have any question marks about my health or my body or anything," Price said Wednesday. "I've tested absolutely everything to the limit and I did everything correctly so I have absolutely no worries about anything."

The exhibition will mark the 2015 Vezina Trophy winner’s first game action in 289 days, after almost all of last season with the Montreal Canadiens due to a right knee injury. He last played competitively on Nov. 25 when he was hurt against the New York Rangers.

Team Canada’s other goalies, Corey Crawford and Braden Holtby will split the team’s second exhibition against the U.S. on Saturday in Ottawa, while no starter has been named by coach Mike Babcock for the final pre-tournament warm-up on September 14 in Pittsburgh.

“(Price) is an elite goaltender who gives you a great chance to win every night,” Babcock said. “He gives the guys a sense of calm. He’s been off a while, but we’ll give him that opportunity.”

The World Cup of Hockey begins Sept. 17 in Toronto.