Ken Dryden, the renowned NHL goaltender who played a crucial role in the Montreal Canadiens securing six Stanley Cup victories during the 1970s, has passed away after battling cancer. He was 78 years old.

The Canadiens announced his passing early on Saturday, noting that Dryden’s family has requested privacy. A team spokesperson mentioned that a close family-appointed friend notified the organization, adding that he passed away peacefully on Friday at his residence.

The hockey great is survived by wife Lynda and their two children. 

‘Today, we grieve not just for the loss of a key figure in one of hockey’s premier dynasties but also for a family man, a thoughtful citizen, and a gentleman who left a profound impact on our lives and communities spanning generations.’

Dryden led the league’s most successful team to championship victories in six of his eight NHL seasons from 1970-71 to ’78-79. He was honored with the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, the Vezina Trophy five times for best goalie, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1971, along with being a six-time All-Star.

‘Ken embodied the best of everything the Montreal Canadiens are about,’ Molson said.

Famous for leaning his blocker and glove hands on his stick in a leisurely stance that became one of hockey’s most iconic poses, the 6-foot-4 Dryden retired at the young age of 31 in 1979.

‘From the instant Ken Dryden joined the Montreal Canadiens as a 23-year-old rookie in 1971, he made both an immediate and enduring impact on the NHL, the Canadiens organization, and the art of goaltending,’ NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman remarked. ‘Ken’s devotion to his country was evident both on and off the rink.’

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, Dryden was 258-57-74 with a .922 save percentage, 2.24 goals-against average and 46 shutouts in just over seven seasons and went 80-32 in the playoffs.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media he was ‘deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the Hon. Ken Dryden, a Canadian hockey legend and hall of famer, public servant and inspiration.’

‘Few Canadians have given more, or stood taller, for our country,’ Carney said. ‘Ken Dryden was Big Canada. And he was Best Canada. Rest in peace.’

From Hamilton, Ontario, Dryden played three seasons at Cornell University from 1966-69, leading the Big Red to the 1967 NCAA title and finishing with a career record of 76-4-1.

Dryden entered the NHL in 1971 and spent just six games in the crease before making his NHL postseason debut. He and Montreal upset rival Boston in the first round and beat Chicago in the final.

He then was a cornerstone of Canada’s 1972 Summit Series team that defeated the Soviet Union, starting in goal in the decisive 6-5 victory in Game 8.

‘I feel the history of that tournament, the legacy of that team just as strongly as all Canadian fans do,’ Dryden told The Canadian Press in a 2022 interview. ‘It never goes away. It’s kind of like a good wine, I guess. Actually, the legacy of it grows.’

He also worked at a Toronto law firm while sitting out the 1973-74 NHL season – after previously earning a law degree at Montreal´s McGill University.

After retiring as a player, he went into broadcasting and wrote ‘The Game,’ one of the best known books about the sport, after publishing ‘Face-off at the Summit’ as part of an accomplished career as an author. He was the color analyst alongside Al Michaels for the ‘Miracle on Ice’ when the U.S. beat the Soviet Union and went on to win the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Dryden served as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1997 through 2004 – a stretch accented by trips to the Eastern Conference final in both 1999 and 2002 – before resigning to enter politics. He ran for the federal Liberals in 2004 and was named minister of social development in Prime Minister Paul Martin´s cabinet.

Dryden, who also taught at various universities across Canada, held onto his seat in Toronto’s York Centre riding in 2006 when the Liberals were ousted, and again in 2008, but lost in 2011.

Brother Dave Dryden was also a longtime NHL and WHA goalie. He died in 2022 at the age of 81.