Ken Dryden dies at 78: Hall of Fame goalie won six Stanley Cups with Canadiens, had diverse post-NHL career

Ken Dryden, one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history, has died following a cancer battle, the Montreal Canadiens announced Saturday. He was 78. 

The Hall of Famer won six Stanley Cups with the Canadiens during the 1970s and captured the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1971 as the most valuable player in the postseason before he was even officially a rookie. The next season, in 1971-72, Dryden, already a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner, won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. He was also a five-time winner of the Vezina Trophy, given to the league’s best goaltender. 

Dryden amassed a staggering 258-57-74 record as a goalie, anchoring the Canadiens dynasty in the ’70s. That included Dryden sitting out the 1973-74 season over a contract dispute, during which he worked as a lawyer, but returning to help Montreal win four consecutive Stanley Cup titles from 1976-1979, retiring after that final championship. 

“Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson 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.”

Throughout his career, Dryden served as an inspiration for many young goaltenders, especially those who grew up in Quebec. One of those youngsters was Montreal native Martin Brodeur, now a fellow Hockey Hall of Famer and the NHL’s all-time leader in wins. On Saturday, Brodeur posted a touching tribute to Dryden, and he included a photo of Dryden taken by his photographer father.

Dryden’s post-hockey life was as remarkable as his career on the ice. He worked as a lawyer, a professor at McGill University, authored numerous books, an analyst for three Olympics, the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1997-2004. A political career saw him elected to Canada’s Parliament, where he served from 2004-2011. He was the Minister of Social Development in prime minister Paul Martin’s cabinet from 2004-06.