Canadiens Goalie Carey Price on the Cover of ESPN The Magazine

Plus: Marvin Harrison’s Life Off of the Field & The Magazine’s Winter X Games 13 Preview

In “The Puck Stops Here,” in the January 26 issue of ESPN The Magazine, writer Lindsay Berra goes into the crease with Canadiens 21-year old goalie, Carey Price, who may have the highest-pressure job in sports. Pressure is part of the package with playing for the Glorious Ones. The Canadiens – arguably one of most storied franchises in all of sports, are celebrating their centennial season, hosting the 57th NHL All-Star Game and have the 4th best record in the Eastern Conference – expectations for the Stanley Cup are at a high. But it’s harder to stay calm and play in a town that regards a Stanley Cup as practically a civic right. Failure to deliver on the ultimate prize can leave scars – and bitter memories. That’s why Price’s quietness and composure may be his best assets and traits to help him survive the heat in Montreal’s crease.

Quotes from the article:
Mike Komisarek, teammate on Price: “He’s always calm back there, and it spills over to the whole team. No matter how crazy things get, he doesn’t show much.”
Price’s Father: “Carey wants to be the difference. He wants to be the No.1 guy on the biggest stage there is.”

Fans expect heroes to let us in, to show us more than their game faces. But over the course of Marvin Harrison’s 13 years in the NFL, the Colts receiver has built an All-Pro career behind a firewall of privacy. In “You Have No Idea,” writers Shaun Assael and Peter Keating go inside the world of Harrison, perhaps the most enigmatic star in the NFL. They discover a man who looks and acts more like the King of West Thompson Street in North Philly than the quiet, record-setting future Hall of Famer. Along the way new evidence about his April 29 shooting incident comes to light, as well as further details about little-reported incidents of violence in his past.

Plus, Bill Simmons opens up his mailbag and Rick Reilly hits Vegas for the World Series of Beer Pong.

2009 WINTER X GAMES:

THIS IS NOT SHAUN WHITE/BUT KEVIN PEARCE MIGHT BE JUST AS GOOD. Winter X snowboarding has been White’s one-man show, but steadily rising Kevin Pearce is ready to challenge. Alyssa Roenigk reports.

COMEBACK KIDS. Danny Davis and five other injured athletes missed the party last January. This year, they’re ready to rip. Alyssa Roenigk reports.

HE CAN’T POSSIBLY RIDE AGAIN…CAN HE? A paralyzing crash may have sidelined Blair Morgan, but the top snocross racer of all time says he can’t give up. By Blair Morgan as told Vince Castellanos.

OTHER FEATURES: 3, 2, 1…. In a close playoff game, every second counts. So why can’t NFL coaches manage the clock? Seth Wickersham reports.

NO FEAR OF REJECTION. For a hoops fan, a blocked shot is a reason to jump out of his seat. For Atlanta’s Josh Smith it’s a way to control his game. Molly Knight reports.

WORKING WITHOUT A NET. Federer is a long shot for No.1, a Frenchman may win a Slam and the WTA has a cool new rule. Step right up: The 2009 tennis season is a three-ring circus. David Higdon and Dale Brauner report.

HAVE I GOT A STORY FOR YOU. For 50 years, high-stakes gambler Dewey Tomko has let it ride with cardsharks, con men and golf pros – and he can’t wait to tell you all about it. Tim Struby reports.

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