Ken dryden biography

Despite playing in the NHL for just eight seasons, the former Montreal Canadiens goaltender left an indelible mark on the city of Montreal and all of Canada. His brother, Dave, was also an NHL goaltender from to As the saying goes, the rest is history.

Ken dryden wife

In the spring of , Dryden was called up by the Canadiens for the first time from their farm club. He appeared in six regular-season games and helped the team put together a six-game win streak. In the playoffs, then-head coach Al McNeil made the bold call to start his rookie netminder against the Bruins in the opening round, a team that had set several NHL records that year and boasted a roster that included the likes of Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr.

The decision paid off mightily as Dryden went on to star in the series and allowed Montreal to pull off an upset for the ages in seven games. Esposito, who scored 76 goals in 78 games in the regular season, was limited to just three goals in the series. You take it now and go. Feel the freedom in order to feel [like] that dynamic, creative, offensive player and go out and score.

And it was to try to deliver a feeling. As a year-old superstar, he tried to negotiate a new contract with the Canadiens. When his efforts proved unsuccessful, he decided to forego the season to finish his legal studies and join the Toronto law firm of Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt. He hit the ice occasionally during that time, playing defence for Vulcan Industrial Packaging of the Toronto Lakeshore League before returning to the Canadiens the following year.

Throughout his eight-season career, Dryden accumulated six Stanley Cups, five Vezina Trophies, a Calder Trophy, and the aforementioned Conn Smythe Trophy, making him the most decorated goalie of the s.