Montreal Canadiens Legend Ken Dryden Passes Away

Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden has passed away at the age of 78, with the cause of death being cancer.

The Hamilton native is said to have passed on peacefully, and while he is no longer among us, his impact on the Montreal Canadiens, not to mention all Canadians, will never be forgotten.

Canadiens fans, young and old, are quick to recognize his contributions to Habs, powered by the fact that the Hall of Famer established a .922 save percentage throughout his glorious NHL career, the best result of any goaltender in franchise history.

Dryden epitomized the dominant Habs teams of the 70s, playing a crucial role in Montreal’s dynasty team that featured a bevy of adored Canadiens players, including Yvan Cournoyer, Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Jacques Lemaire, Henri Richard, and Pete Mahovlich, among others.

He won the Stanley Cup in his rookie season, not to mention the Conn Smythe Trophy as the league’s most valuable playoff performer. He would go on to capture the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the NHL the following year, in 1971-72.

History will remember Ken Dryden as the ultimate winner, a narrative driven by the fact that he won the Stanley Cup in six of his eight seasons in the NHL. In just 397 NHL games, Dryden put together an impressive record of 258 wins, 57 losses, and 74 ties. He was also a part of the famous 1972 Summit Series between Team Canada and the USSR.

But his exploits were not reserved solely for the rink.

Dryden wrote several influential hockey books, including The Game, a must-read for any hockey fan. After a successful career as a writer, orator, and hockey commentator, Dryden transitioned to politics, where he also found immediate success.

The Dryden family has requested privacy at this time, asking fans who would like to pay homage to give a donation to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, or the Concussion Legacy Foundation.