MONTREAL – The hockey community is mourning the loss of Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden.
Former teammate Serge Savard recalled the six-foot-four goaltender’s entry into the league in 1971 as a 23-year-old rookie straight out of Cornell University and into the storied Montreal Canadiens dressing room.
Savard recalled that Dryden would come to the dressing room with books under his arm and would attend McGill University post-practise.
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Savard noted in an interview that many of his battle-hardened teammates would come to realize that Dryden was just ahead of his time.
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Dryden won six Stanley Cups, five Vezina trophies as the league’s top goaltender and quickly became a beloved figure in his adopted hometown of Montreal, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
Dryden would go on to work as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs between 1997 and 2003 before embarking on a career in federal politics.
He passed away Friday after a battle with cancer. He was 78.
A number of past and present NHL stars weighed in on Dryden’s passing Saturday, with longtime NHL goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Carey Price both paying tribute.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2025.