The nation of Canada, the city of Montreal, and the sport of Hockey have lost one of its greats.
Ken Dryden passed away at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer.
Dryden cut his hockey teeth and scholastic endeavors at Cornell, where he led the school to three straight ECAC Championships and an NCAA Title in 1967. He made his debut in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens on March 14, 1971, and played six games in the regular season, and supplanted Rogie Vachon as Montreal’s lead Goalie. He went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, backstopping the Habs to a Stanley Cup. Dryden then made history as he won the Calder Trophy the following year (he still had his rookie level intact), even though he already won the Conn Smythe. In 1972, he was also part of Team Canada, which won the Summit Series against the Soviet Union.
Due to a pay dispute, Dryden opted to sit out the 1973-74 Season and article for a Toronto law firm. Dryden returned and would win six Stanley Cups in total, five First Team All-Stars, five Vezina Trophies, and retired in his prime with a record of 258-57-74 and a 2.24 GAA. He also led the NHL in GAA four times, Save Percentage three times, and Shutouts four times.
Following his playing career, Dryden did it all, writing many books, commenting, teaching, and working as a sports executive. He was also a politician, having served multiple terms in the Canadian House of Commons.
He was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, and his number was retired by both the Montreal Canadiens and Cornell.
We here at notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, friends, and family of Ken Dryden.
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