Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden, a six-time All-Star, six-time Stanley Cup winner and an integral part of Montreal’s dynasty of the 1970s, died Friday after a battle with cancer, the Canadiens announced. He was 78.
Known for his intellectual pursuits off the ice, Dryden played only eight seasons in the NHL before retiring in his prime at age 31. Along with the Cups, the Canada native won the Vezina Trophy — awarded to the league’s top goalie — five times.
“Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. “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.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, “From the moment Ken Dryden joined the Montreal Canadiens as a 23-year-old rookie in 1971, he made an immediate and lasting impact on the NHL, the Canadiens franchise and the goaltending position. Ken’s love for his country was evident both on and off the ice.”
Dryden was born in Hamilton, Ontario, on Aug. 8, 1947. Drafted by the Boston Bruins in the third round in 1964, Dryden was traded to the Canadiens later that year. Rather than play for the Canadiens, however, Dryden opted to attend Cornell University to play hockey for the Big Red while attaining a bachelor’s degree in history.
After making his debut with the Canadiens on March 14, 1971, Dryden was named the club’s No. 1 goalie for the playoffs that season despite playing in only six-regular season games. All he did was go 12-8 in the postseason and take home the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player of the playoffs after Montreal beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in the Stanley Cup Final.
The following year, Dryden went 39-8-15 — leading the league in games played, wins and ties — and picked up the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s rookie of the year (though the Canadiens fell in the first round of the playoffs).
He would win another Cup in 1973 before taking a year away from hockey to earn his law degree.
After returning to the Canadiens for the 1974-75 season and leading his team to the Stanley Cup semifinals, Dryden led Montreal to four straight Cups. But Dryden retired after the 1978-79 season to pursue numerous endeavors, including writing books, teaching, sports commentating and serving as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1997-2003.
Among his off-the-ice highlights was serving as the color commentator with announced Al Michaels for the famous “Miracle on Ice” broadcast in which the United States stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union in the semifinals of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Dryden eventually made his way into politics, highlighted by his election to the Canadian House of Commons in 2004 and his re-election in 2006. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and was named to the NHL’s 100th Anniversary Team in 2017.
Despite playing in only 397 career games, Dryden sits 63rd all time with 258 wins and is tied for 35th with 46 shutouts.
