Ken Dryden, the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender who backstopped the Montreal Canadiens’ 1970s dynasty, died on Friday at age 78 from cancer, the Canadiens announced.
Dryden was one of the greatest goalies in NHL history despite playing only seven full seasons. A fascinating intellectual beyond the rink, he retired in the middle of his prime — after winning six Stanley Cup championships and five Vezina trophies — to pursue interests in business, law and politics, where he was equally successful.
In a team-released statement, Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said: “Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man. Behind the mask he was larger than life. We mourn today not only the loss of the cornerstone of one of hockey’s greatest dynasties, but also a family man, a thoughtful citizen, and a gentleman who deeply impacted our lives and communities across generations. He was one of the true legends that helped shape this Club into what it is today. Ken embodied the best of everything the Montreal Canadiens are about, and his legacy within our society transcends our sport. On behalf of the Molson family and our entire organization, I would like to extend my most heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and all who had the privilege to cross his path and know him on a personal level.”
Dryden was born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1947 to his parents, Murray and Margaret. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 1964 NHL Amateur Draft, but was traded to the Canadiens days later.
He attended Cornell University, where he graduated with a B.A. degree in history while leading the Big Red hockey team to three straight ECAC tournament championships and a victory in the 1967 NCAA championship game. In three seasons in college, Dryden had a 76-4-1 record.
Dryden made his NHL debut for the Canadiens on March 14, 1971. He went 6-0 down the stretch of that regular season, took over as Montreal’s starter for the playoffs and led the team to a Stanley Cup championship. Dryden became the first and only player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP before winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie, which Dryden won the following year.
He was a colossal figure in the Montreal crease, famous for his iconic resting pose leaning on his stick while the puck was at the other end of the ice. At a time when most goalies were under 6 feet, Dryden was a towering 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, but still had nimble feet to dance around the net and kick pucks into the corners.
His NHL career burned fast and bright. He won an astounding 258 of his 397 regular-season games and 80 of his 132 playoff appearances. His career save percentage of .922 is tied for the highest in NHL history, and he won the fourth-most Vezina trophies despite only playing until he was 31.
Dryden also represented his country several times, most notably helping Team Canada defeat the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series.
Dryden’s accomplishments outside of hockey were nearly as impressive as his dominant run as the goalie for one of the sport’s greatest dynasties. He took a brief break from hockey after his third season in 1973, holding out of the 1973-74 season due to unhappiness with his contract with the Canadiens. During that year, he fulfilled requirements for his law degree at McGill University and articled for a Toronto law firm.
Following his official retirement from the NHL in 1979, Dryden went on to author “The Game” and five other books — on everything from hockey to the Canadian education system — and teach a class at McGill University. He also had successful stints as a broadcaster, hockey executive and politician.
“I like the feeling of doing something well,” Dryden said in 2017. “I like the feeling of playing hockey well. I wanted to do whatever I did next well, and I wanted to give myself the time and the chance to do that.”
Dryden was a television commentator at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics, and worked alongside Al Michaels for ABC’s coverage of the “Miracle on Ice” game between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1980.
Dryden was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. He served as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1997 to 2003, when he resigned to pursue a career in politics. He won the 2004 federal election for the House of Commons of Canada, and was named to the Cabinet as Minister of Social Development. He was re-elected in 2006 and was a member of the House of Commons of Canada until 2011.
Dryden was one of the most unique characters and greatest puck-stoppers in hockey history. He is survived by his wife, Lynda, two children — Sarah and Michael — and two grandchildren.
(Photo: Melchior DiGiacomo / Getty Images)
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