2025-09-06
Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden has died. Here are 7 reasons why he was so iconic
One of the greatest, and most interesting, goaltenders in NHL history just passed away.Former Montreal Canadiens netminder Ken Dryden has died at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer.Dryden leaves behind an incredible legacy as a hockey player, manager, author, and politician. Here are seven reasons why the Ontario native was such an icon.1. WON STANLEY CUP AS A RAW ROOKIEPrior to the start of the 1971 NHL playoffs, Dryden had played just six career games. During those six games, he had a .957 save percentage and hadn’t lost once.Clearly, that was a sign of things to come.When Habs starting netminder, Rogie Vachon went down with an injury, head coach Scotty Bowman turned to Dryden. The 23-year-old didn’t disappoint, leading the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup. Dryden was named the Conn Smythe winner as playoff MVP.The following season, Dryden won the Calder as the NHL’s best rookie, making him the only player in league history to win the Conn Smythe before the Calder.2. WON FIVE MORE STANLEY CUPS WITH HABSWhen the Canadiens suited up with Dryden in net, they won the Stanley Cup more often than not.During his Dryden’s eight NHL seasons, they would go onto win another five Stanley Cups.Winning the Stanley Cup was nothing new for the Canadiens, but they did have to battle more teams to emerge victorious in the 1970s. There were only six teams in the league before 1967, but there were 17 teams in the league by the time Dryden retired in 1979.3. HIS ICONIC POSEDryden really was a unicorn for his time. Or, a giraffe, as some might call him.> From the HHOF photo archives – Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadiens strikes his iconic pose. pic.twitter.com/tv8ET4fjbx> > — Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) February 27, 2017His height was unusual for goaltenders at the time, standing at 6-foot-4 in an era where many goalies were under six-feet-tall.That led Boston Bruins legend Phil Espositio to apparently yell at him during the 1971 Stanley Cup Finals: “You thieving, four-story giraffe!”4. TOOK A YEAR OFF TO STUDY LAWAfter his third NHL season, Dryden had won his second Stanley Cup, along with his first Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie.In the middle of his prime, Dryden decided to take a year off to study law.While in the NHL, he was also enrolled in McGill University’s law school in Montreal. So, he stepped away during the 1973-74 season to finish his degree.The Canadiens lost in the playoffs without Dryden. The same happened the following year when Dryden returned, before the Canadiens won four Stanley Cups over Dryden’s final four seasons.5. HIS SHOCKING RETIREMENTDryden may have defined the idea of retiring in your prime.After his sixth Stanley Cup win in eight seasons, Dryden shockingly hung up his skates at the age of 31.He ended his career with five Vezina Trophies, and an NHL-best .743 regular season winning percentage. His career record featured and astounding 258 wins in 397 games, while posting only 57 losses and 74 ties.6. WROTE ONE OF THE GREATEST HOCKEY BOOKS EVERDryden has written numerous books that have been critically acclaimed. He’s written about the 1972 Summit Series, a biography on Scotty Bowman, a look at the death of hockey player Steve Montador, among others.However, his crowning achievement was arguably writing “The Game,” which is a first-hand look at Dryden’s career with the Canadiens. Specifically, Dryden focuses on the psychology of hockey and the goalie position. It is widely considered one of the greatest sports books of all time.“To play goal is to live with fear,” Dryden wrote in The Game. “It is to know that every mistake you make is glaring, that it will be replayed in the minds of your teammates and fans, and that you cannot escape it. And yet, you play.”7. WAS AN ELECTED MEMBER OF PARLIAMENTDryden had a number of endeavours after the end of his playing career. He was a commentator for the Winter Olympics in the 1980s. He later taught at McGill, his alma mater. Dryden also was named President of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the late-1990s.Most notably in the 2000s, Dryden was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2004. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2008 before being defeated during the 2011 election. He also ran for leadership of the Liberal Party in 2006, before Paul Martin was eventually named leader. You might also like:- Carey Price has been traded by the Montreal Canadiens
