Friday was a tragic day for the hockey world as former Montreal Canadiens goalie and Canadian legend Ken Dryden handed away on the age of 78 following his battle with most cancers. Dryden is remembered for extra than simply what he supplied on the ice, but in addition as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ entrance workplace earlier than careers in legislation, training and politics.
Dryden was born on August 8, 1947, in Hamilton, Ontario. He performed U.S. collegiate hockey at Cornell College and was chosen by the Boston Bruins with the 14th total choice on the 1964 NHL Draft. Ultimately, he made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in March 1971 – the beginning of an illustrious hockey profession.
Ken Dryden’s Taking part in Profession
Dryden’s first NHL postseason got here following six common season video games with the Canadiens in 1970-71. He helped lead the staff to the Stanley Cup Last, securing hockey’s holy grail in simply his first season with the staff. On prime of that, Dryden was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy because the playoff’s most precious participant in his first postseason run.
His profession solely took off farther from that time. The next season, he collected the Calder Trophy because the league’s rookie of the yr. He was part of 5 extra Stanley Cup groups with the Canadiens, together with 4 straight from from 1975-76 to 1978-79.
He was additionally a five-time Vezina Trophy winner – locking up the award type 1975 to 1979 making him one of the crucial dominant goaltenders of his time.
Dryden retired comparatively early on the age of 31, however achieved a bunch earlier than he did. He completed with 258 wins, 57 losses and 74 ties with a profession save proportion (SV%) of .922 and a couple of.24 objectives in opposition to common (GAA).
He helped backstop Canada to a win on the Summit Collection in opposition to the Soviet Union – a journey he would ultimately write about in his post-career as he opened up one other profession in writing. Dryden helped Canada win in eight video games with the assistance the memorable Paul Henderson objective that helped them win.
Dryden Chases Larger Goals
Following his profession, Dryden joined the Maple Leafs because the president from 1997 to 2004 which was a promising stint for the staff who noticed two Japanese Convention Last appearances throughout his tenure. He would ultimately go on to write down a number of books – together with The Recreation, The Collection and a biographical piece on Scotty Bowman, one other NHL legend.
Associated: 7 Cool Issues About Canadiens Goalie Legend Ken Dryden
He ultimately made it into legislation and taught at numerous universities in Canada, changing into a member of the Liberal celebration in 2004 when he was named minister of social improvement underneath Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Dryden held his seat even throughout questionable occasions for the celebration in 2006 and 2008, operating his political profession the identical means he did on the ice – with class and poise – creating longevity for him regardless of the profession or job.
Dryden’s affect on Canada and the sport of hockey have been well-documented and as such, he was inducted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 1983, as quickly as he was eligible to go in.
He was additionally named to the NHL’s top-100 checklist, one other defining accomplishment of his tenure within the hockey world.
Dryden, who’s survived by his spouse Lynda and their two kids, will stay a family title for years to return – for each hockey followers and people concerned in Canadian politics.
