Ken Dryden became a part of Montreal Canadiens lore in the 1971 NHL playoffs when he led the underdog Original Six club to a Stanley Cup title without any previous postseason experience. That magical playoff run included an upset victory over the rival Boston Bruins, who were the Stanley Cup favorites as defending champions.
During his rookie season in 1971-72, Dryden posted an incredible 39-8-15 record with a 2.24 GAA and eight shutouts, which established himself as one of the league’s top goaltenders. He was elected rookie of the year and later became the first goalie in the NHL to get the Conn Smythe Trophy and then the Calder Trophy. The next year, Dryden was firmly established as the Montreal Canadiens’ top goaltender and at the end of the season was awarded another prize, the Vezina Trophy, as the league’s best goalie.
Oddly, after two Stanley Cups in three incomplete seasons in the NHL, Dryden suddenly declared that his career was over at age 26. He joined the law offices of Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt in Toronto as an articling student with an annual salary of $7,500. After missing a season, the two parties came to a financial compromise and Dryden returned to the Montreal Canadiens.
From the 1975-76 season up until the end of his career in 1979, Dryden performed superbly. Dryden was awarded the Vezina Trophy four more times. Five times he was included on the First All-Star Team and once on the Second All-Star Team. In his career, he had 46 shutouts and his overall goals against average was an impressive 2.24.
Ken Dryden was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
