'I am not a criminal': Habs goalie Carey Price speaks against controversial firearms bill
Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price has taken a stance against a proposed amendment to Ottawa's controversial Bill C-21 that would further restrict access to certain firearms in Canada.
In a photo posted to Price's Instagram account Saturday afternoon, the Habs star goalie is shown dressed head-to-toe in camouflage with a shotgun tucked under his arm.
- READ MORE: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price didn't know about Polytechnique mass shooting, team says
"I love my family, I love my country and I care for my neighbour. I am not a criminal or a threat to society," the caption reads. "What [Justin Trudeau] is trying to do is unjust. I support the [Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights] to keep my hunting tools. Thank you for listening to my opinion."
If passed, Bill C-21 would tighten legal access to handguns, as well as refine the definition of prohibited assault-style firearms.
It's this latter amendment, introduced in late November, that has drawn the ire of Canadian hunters -- Carey Price among them -- who say the definition would outlaw weapons used within their practice.
For example, Conservative Public Safety Critic Raquel Dancho has particularly objected to the inclusion of the Simonov SKS, a semi-automatic rifle she says is commonly used by Indigenous hunters.
But the Liberals have repeatedly stated their intention is not to go after hunters but to restrict certain firearms designed for the "battlefield."
The measure would build on a 2020 regulatory ban of over 1,500 models and variants of what the government considers assault-style firearms, such as the Ruger Mini-14 -- the weapon used to kill 14 women in the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique shooting in Montreal, the 33rd anniversary of which is just days away.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has accused the Conservatives of fear-mongering and distorting the truth by claiming the Trudeau government wants to ban regular long guns and hunting rifles.
APPLAUSE FROM POILIEVRE, CCFR
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre applauded Price's statement in a Tweet Saturday, referring to the proposed legislation as a "ban [on] hunting rifles."
"Carey is absolutely right. Hunting is a great Canadian tradition. Trudeau’s attempts to ban hunting rifles are an attack on rural and Indigenous people," he wrote.
Price, who is currently on the Canadiens' injured reserve list, was also praised by the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights (CCFR), a gun owner-rights group tagged in his original Instagram post.
"Thank you Carey Price," the CCFR wrote in an Instagram post of their own. "We won't stop working to defend [Canada's] right to own and enjoy property."
The CCFR came under scrutiny earlier this week after the group's online shop recently offered 10 per cent off for customers who used the code "POLY" at checkout.
The promo code was criticized by gun-control group PolySeSouvient, formed after the Polytechnique massacre.
PolySeSouvient also reacted to Price's comments on Twitter, stating he had been "duped" by disinformation.
"The #disinformation of [Pro-gun lobbies] on the amendment to #C21 (taken up blindly by some media) duped hero and hunter Carey Price who mistakenly believes that the latter targets shotguns and rifles," the Tweet states.
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'COVID is not done,' Canadian infectious disease expert says ahead of WHO announcement
While RSV and flu cases steadily decline in Canada, the World Health Organization is set to announce on Monday whether it still considers COVID-19 a global health emergency, but one infectious disease specialist says we still need to keep an eye on the coronavirus.

Father pushing Manitoba to follow Ontario, Saskatchewan in screening for CMV
Roughly one in 200 babies born in Canada today will have congenital cytomegalovirus, a virus that can lead to hearing loss, intellectual disability or vision loss. But with only two provinces screening newborns for CMV, one father is asking other health-care systems to do more.
23 vehicles towed, dozens of tickets issued as rally marks one-year anniversary of 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa
OPS and Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 192 parking tickets and 67 Provincial Offences Notices in downtown Ottawa this weekend, as hundreds of people marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion dies at 101
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
As Canada's RCMP marks 150th anniversary, a look at what it says needs to change
After years of reports and allegations detailing a 'toxic' workplace, Canada's RCMP says it is trying to evolve, focusing on diversity in its organization and repairing relationships with communities as it marks its 150th anniversary.
'24,' 'Runaways' actor Annie Wersching has died at 45
Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series '24' and providing the voice for Tess in the video game 'The Last of Us' has died. She was 45.
Russian teen faces years in jail over social media post criticizing war in Ukraine
A Russian teenager must wear an ankle bracelet while she is under house arrest after she was charged over social media posts that authorities say discredit the Russian army and justify terrorism.
Russian shelling leaves 3 dead, 6 wounded in Ukrainian city of Kherson
Friends and volunteers gathered Sunday at Kyiv's St Sophia's Cathedral to say goodbye to Andrew Bagshaw, who was killed in Ukraine while trying to evacuate people from a front-line town. This comes as Russian forces heavily shelled the city of Kherson, killing three people and wounding six others, the regional administration said.
Germany won't be a 'party to the war' amid tanks exports to Ukraine: Ambassador
The German ambassador to Canada says Germany will not become 'a party to the conflict' in Ukraine, despite it and several other countries announcing they'll answer President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's pleas for tanks, possibly increasing the risk of Russian escalation.