Goalie Ken Dryden #29 of the Montreal Canadiens leans on his goalie stick during an NHL game against the New York Rangers circa 1973 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)

Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images

A trailblazer on and off the ice, Ken Dryden has died at the age of 78.

A six-time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens, his former team announced his passing on Friday night.

“Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man,” said Canadiens owner and president Geoff Molson in a statement on Friday. “Behind the mask he was larger than life … Ken embodied the best of everything the Montreal Canadiens are about, and his legacy within our society transcends our sport.”

Born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1947 and raised in suburban Toronto, Dryden took an unconventional approach to his hockey career from the beginning. Rather than play major junior like most Canadian prospects, he elected to pursue a college education at Cornell University.

After initially being drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 1964 amateur draft, his rights were traded to the Canadiens just days later. But Dryden didn’t join Montreal until late in the 1970-71 season — after earning three first All-American team honors with the Big Red, and playing with Canada’s national team in 1969-70.

When Dryden turned pro at age 23, he spent most of his first year with the AHL’s Montreal Voyageur’s before earning a late-season call-up by the Canadiens. After going unbeaten in six regular-season games, he became an instant legend by backstopping Montreal to the 1971 Stanley Cup — and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

“It is almost incomprehensible to believe that he accomplished all of that the year prior to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s best rookie in 1971-72,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in a statement on Friday night.

The following year, Dryden’s 2.24 goals-against average and .930 save percentage over a massive 64-game workload earned him those rookie of the year honors. But the Canadiens fell in six games to the New York Rangers in the first round of the post-season.

It was a rare setback for Dryden, who retired in 1979 with six Stanley Cups in his eight NHL seasons played — a run that is unimaginable in today’s league.

But even with all his on-ice success, Dryden stayed true to his own needs. Unhappy with his contract prospects after winning his second Cup in 1973, he elected to take a year off and finish his law degree before returning to the Canadiens for the 1974-75 season. The Canadiens then won four-straight Cups before his retirement in 1979, at age 31. He also earned five Vezina Trophies in his seven full NHL seasons.

Dryden was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, as soon as he was eligible. his No. 29 was retired by the Canadiens in 2007.

After hanging up his skates, Dryden continued to have a significant impact on hockey. His 1983 book, ‘The Game,’ was an ahead-of-its-time exposé of life behind the scenes, filled with thoughtful analysis and anecdotes. He followed up with other books about the sport.

Dryden also returned to hockey in a management role, serving as the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs for six seasons between 1997 and 2003. He also served as a member of parliament for Canada’s Liberal Party between 2004 and 2011, including two years as Minister of Social Development from 2004-06.

His bullseye-painted mask and signature pose leaning on his stick during time outs make for some of the most memorable images of his era, and Dryden’s on-ice success with the Canadiens is virtually unmatched. His legacy lives on today within the organization, and his role as a spokesperson for the game of hockey as a whole was one of a kind. On Friday, the sport lost a giant.

The Dryden family is asking for privacy at this time. At their suggestion, those wishing to honor Ken Dryden’s memory are encouraged to make a donation to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, or the Concussion Legacy Foundation.