Ken Dryden

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Lore & Background

Dryden's path to Montreal began with a surprise. Drafted fourteenth overall by the Boston Bruins in 1964, he was traded days later to the Canadiens but only learned of his original draft status years after joining the NHL. Rather than turn professional immediately, he pursued a Bachelor of Arts in History at Cornell University, where he backstopped the Big Red to the 1967 NCAA championship and three consecutive ECAC tournament championships, winning 76 of his 81 varsity starts. He made his NHL debut on March 14, 1971, against the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping 35 of 36 shots in a 5–1 victory. Called up late in the season after playing only six regular season games, he earned the starting job over veteran Rogie Vachon and led the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. He returned for the 1972–73 season to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. His career was interrupted by the entire 1973–74 season while he articled at a Toronto law firm to fulfill requirements for his LLB from McGill University, earning $135 a week and even interning with Ralph Nader's organization. Despite his absence, the team allowed 56 more goals than the previous year. Upon returning, he led Montreal to four more Stanley Cups in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979 before retiring on July 9, 1979.

In Their Own Story

Standing at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), Dryden earned the nickname 'four-storey goalie' and was once called 'that thieving giraffe' by Boston Bruins star Phil Esposito. When the puck was at the opposite end of the ice, he struck his trademark pose: leaning upon his stick, a stance identical to that of Georges Vézina sixty years prior. His statistical dominance was unparalleled for such a brief career; in just 397 NHL games, he posted a 74.3 winning percentage, a 2.24 goals against average, and a .922 save percentage with 46 shutouts. He won the Vezina Trophy five times, selected as a First Team All-Star in each of those campaigns. His impact extended beyond the rink; he represented Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union national team. In later years, his legacy was cemented when the NHL commemorated him as one of the league's 100 Greatest Players in 2017 and awarded him the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2020.

Reader's Guide

Dryden transitioned seamlessly from the ice to public service and literature. He wrote 'Face-Off at the Summit' during his career, a diary of the 1972 series, and later published acclaimed works like 'The Game' (1983), which was nominated for a Governor General's Award, and 'Scotty: A Hockey Life Like No Other' in 2019. Off the ice, he served as a colour commentator for ABC during the 1980 Winter Olympics, famously expressing concern about Jim Craig before Mike Eruzione's game-winning goal against the USSR. His political career saw him elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 and appointed Minister of Social Development from 2004 to 2006. As an executive, he served as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs starting in 1997. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, his first year of eligibility, and had his number 29 retired by the Canadiens on January 29, 2007.

Did You Know?

• Dryden did not discover he was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins until the mid-1970s, having been told by his agent he was a Montreal selection.
• He is the only player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy before winning the Calder Memorial Trophy.
• During the 1973–74 season, Dryden missed the entire year to article for a law firm and intern with Ralph Nader's Public Citizen organization.
• His trademark pose of leaning on his stick was exactly the same as that struck by Georges Vézina sixty years prior, unknown to Dryden at the time.
• Dryden won the Stanley Cup six times but played only 397 regular season games in a career lasting just over seven full seasons.