“Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man,” said Canadiens owner Geoff Molson. “Behind the mask he was larger than life. Today we not only mourn the loss of the cornerstone of one of the greatest dynasts of hockey, but also a family man, a thoughtful citizen and a gentleman who had a deep influence on our lives and communities for generations. He was one of the true legends that this club helped in today.
“Ken embodied the best of everything that the Canadiens of Montreal will pass, and his legacy in our society transcends our sport. On behalf of the Molson and our entire organization, I want to expand my most sincere condolences to his family, his friends and everyone who had the privilege of crossing his path and know him on a personal level.”
Dryden was still at the top of his game, but instead after that championship from 1979 with six Stanley Cup titles in eight NHL seasons. He was 258-57 with 74 tires, a 2.24 GAA, .922 SAVE percentage and 46 shutouts in 397 games in the regular season (389 starts). He was 80-32 with a 2.41 GAA, .915 Save percentage and 10 shutouts in 112 play-off games.
He won the Vezina -Trophee (1973, 1976, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979), the fourth most in NHL history behind Jacques Plante (Zeven), Bill Durnan (six) and Dominik Hasek (six).
Instead of being on ice during the push of the Canadiens for a fifth straight cup title in 1980, he was in the TV cabin. He served as an analyst for the Lake Placid Olympics from 1980 and was linked to Al Michaels for the broadcast of the upset victory of the United States against the Soviet Union in the ‘Miracle on Ice’. Dryden was also an Olympic analyst in 1984 and 1988.
In 1983 Dryden became a best-selling author when ‘The Game’, a First-Personal Report of his 1978-79 season with Montreal, was published. More than three decades later, it is still considered one of the best books ever written about hockey. He was also included in the Hockey Hall of Fame that year.
After a few years away from hockey, Dryden returned to the NHL in 1997, when he was appointed president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He left the team in 2004 to run a chair in the Canada parliament on the Liberal Party ticket in the Riding of York Center. Dryden won his parliamentary seat in a landslide and was appointed Canada’s Minister of Social Development and was re -elected in 2006.
The Canadiens recognized his success on the ice on January 29, 2007, when his no. 29 was raised to the trusses in Bell Center. He received the Order of Canada in 2012.
Dryden was also named one of the 100 largest players in the NHL history during the centenary of the competition in 2017.
Because of all his performance, the interpretation of the people of the modern athlete, who constantly pursues a new challenge, is constantly striving, whether it is physical, intellectual or otherwise.
At the request of the Dryden family, those who want to honor the memory of Ken are encouraged to make a donation to the Princess Margaret Cancer Center or the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
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