MONTREAL - The first time Ken Dryden walked into the Montreal Canadiens’ locker room in 1971, his teammates immediately knew he was different.
“We looked at him and we thought he was coming from another planet,” recalled his defenceman Serge Savard in an interview on Saturday.
“We didn’t see hockey players coming into the dressing room with books under their arms. After practice, he was going to McGill University.”
In fact, Savard remembers that at first, members of the team doubted Dryden, with all his other interests, would have a great future in hockey. But they were happy 鈥 and perhaps a bit astounded 鈥 to be proved so wrong.
Dryden won six Stanley Cups in eight seasons, five Vezina trophies as the league鈥檚 top goaltender and backstopped Canada past the Soviet Union in the monumental 1972 Summit Series, quickly becoming a beloved figure in Montreal.
“He was the best goaltender of his time,” Savard said.
But also much else 鈥 an author, a lawyer and a politician who retired from hockey in his early 30s.
鈥淗e did a lot of things, and every time after doing something, he would look at you and say, ‘What’s next?’ That’s Ken Dryden,” Savard said.
Dryden died Friday at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer.
Savard, who grew closer to him in recent years at 1972 team reunions, was stunned when Dryden鈥檚 wife, Lynda, delivered the news Friday. She told him Dryden had lived with cancer for two years and had known for months he couldn鈥檛 be cured, but kept it private within his immediate family.
Other former Canadiens were equally blindsided.
鈥淚 had no idea he was even sick,鈥 former defenceman Larry Robinson said. 鈥淚’m just 鈥 I’m dumbfounded. It’s a sad day, very sad day.”
Robinson, who spent years clearing the crease and blocking shots in front of Dryden, called him 鈥渁 smart person, but great player.鈥
鈥淣ot only was he so graceful in the net, he’s a big guy and you think that he took up half the net,鈥 Robinson recalled of the six-foot-four netminder. “He was so good that we just basically took him for granted sometimes. We wouldn’t play that well, and he would keep us in games.
鈥淭hey would say how strong we were, but they forgot that Kenny kept us in the game for three quarters of the game.鈥
For sports writers accustomed to post-game monosyllabic and rote answers from athletes, Dryden was unique, becoming known as a dream and a nightmare for delivering thoughtful 鈥 yet long-winded 鈥 answers.
“Ken never spoke in single sentences. He never spoke in phrases. He never gave you a yes or a no answer,” said Dave Stubbs, a hockey historian and columnist at . “You knew that what you were going to get from Ken was going to be very profound.
鈥淜en certainly had a very different take on the game of hockey and the game of life than anyone else I’ve ever known in professional sports.鈥
After his playing career, Dryden would go on to work as president of the 海角社区官网Maple Leafs between 1997 and 2003 before embarking on a career in federal politics.
“Ken Dryden absolutely transcended the game of hockey,鈥 Stubbs said. 鈥淢any professional hockey players, their lives are defined by hockey. Hockey was only a small part of Ken’s life. It was a great springboard into the other things that he did.鈥
Dryden put his thoughts on paper in 鈥淭he Game,鈥 widely regarded as one of the greatest sports books of all time, detailing life as a professional hockey player on the 1978-79 Canadiens.
鈥淜en was ahead of his time,鈥 Savard said. 鈥淗e was talking about climate change 50 years ago.”
Goaltending legends of the past and present who followed in Dryden鈥檚 footsteps delivered heartfelt tributes on Saturday.
Martin Brodeur, a Montreal-born Hall of Famer, said he 鈥渁lways looked up to Ken Dryden.鈥
鈥淗e revolutionized the position and rose to the occasion in big moments,鈥 Brodeur wrote in a social media post with a photo of Dryden taken by his father. 鈥淏eyond his greatness on the ice, he was a remarkable person, and the hockey community will miss him dearly.鈥
Carey Price 鈥 the latest in the Canadiens鈥 lineage of star goalies, from Jacques Plante to Dryden to Patrick Roy 鈥 thanked him for his 鈥渟ervice not only as a Canadien, but also as a Canadian.鈥
鈥淲ith a heavy heart, I extend my deepest condolences to the Dryden family,鈥 Price wrote on social media. 鈥淵ou helped me as a young goaltender and I will always be grateful for your thoughtful words of encouragement.鈥
A bouquet of flowers was placed by Dryden鈥檚 plaque outside the Bell Centre.
At Percival Molson Stadium, the Montreal Alouettes honoured him with a moment of silence before their CFL game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Dryden was born in Hamilton but grew up in Toronto鈥檚 Islington neighbourhood.
On nearby Sainte-Catherine Street, fans of all ages reflected on his legacy.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one the Canadiens鈥 great goalies,鈥 said Tristan Dub茅-Rioux, wearing a Canadiens sweater. 鈥淚 remember especially his mask. I was sad he died, but I鈥檓 happy he played for the Canadiens.鈥
For 46-year-old Brandon Ferguson, the lasting image is Dryden resting his hands on top of his stick 鈥 a pose immortalized in the 鈥淭he Goalie鈥 statue outside Montreal鈥檚 Raymond-Bourque Arena.
鈥淟eaning on the stick going, ‘Yeah, pucks down there, when it crosses the red line, I’ll be interested again,鈥 Ferguson said at McLean鈥檚 pub on Peel Street. 鈥淎 truly good Canadian, a sports icon that was always just a really thoughtful, intelligent individual.鈥
鈥 With files from sports writer Michel Lamarche.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2025.
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