THE WASHINGTON POST – Ken Dryden, the legendary National Hockey League goaltender who won six Stanley Cups and was named the league’s best goalie five times before leaving the sport to become a politician, author and lawyer, died of cancer Friday, the Montreal Canadiens said. He was 78.
The Canadiens organization, the only team that Mr. Dryden played for in the NHL, did not specify what type of cancer Mr. Dryden had.
“Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man,” Geoff Molson, owner and president of the Montreal Canadiens, said in a statement.
“Behind the mask he was larger than life. We mourn today not only the loss of the cornerstone of one of hockey’s greatest dynasties, but also a family man, a thoughtful citizen, and a gentleman who deeply impacted our lives and communities across generations.”
Debuting in the 1970-1971 season, he shut out opponents in all six games he played — which convinced head coach Al McNeil to start the rookie against the Boston Bruins in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Canadiens would win the title that year. The rest of Mr. Dryden’s hockey career landed him five more cups; five Vezina trophies, awarded to the league’s best goalie; a Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the best player in the playoffs; and a Hall of Fame induction in 1983.
But even during his peak hockey years, Mr. Dryden showed signs he wanted more from life. Teammates recalled him carrying textbooks under his arm in the locker room.
“We were saying ‘Where’s this guy from?’ He was different than all of us, but he was a very, very dedicated person. He’s been an example,” former teammate Serge Savard told Hockey Canada in 2021 …
