Ken Dryden is correctly regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. He was born on Aug. 8, 1947, in Hamilton, Ontario, and his remarkable career spanned only eight NHL seasons. He began playing with the Montreal Canadiens in 1970-71 and ended with the same team after the 1978-79 season.
His NHL record in those seasons was an amazing 258-57-74, with a 2.24 goals-against average (GAA) and a .919 save percentage (SV%) in 397 games. He stood 6-foot-4, which in those days was an anomaly for goalies. But, with his exceptional size, he also possessed extraordinary athleticism. When those two physical attributes were combined with his intelligence and demeanour, the result was that Dryden was a dominant force in the Canadiens’ crease.
Related: Montreal Canadiens’ Ken Dryden – Truly One of a Kind
In the rest of this post, I’ll share what I believe are seven cool things about the Canadiens’ Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden.
Cool Thing 1: Dryden’s NHL Debut Was in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Dryden’s first NHL game is a remarkable story. During the 1970-71 season, he was playing for the Canadiens’ minor league affiliate, the Montreal Voyageurs, in the American Hockey League (AHL). The parent Canadiens made the postseason but were up against the tough Boston Bruins in the quarter-finals. They had finished with 97 points, good for third in the East, but that was 24 points behind the Boston Bruins, their first-round opponent in the playoffs.
On April 6, 1971, because Canadiens’ starting goalie Rogatien Vachon was struggling, team management made an incredibly bold decision. They called up the young Dryden from the AHL to start in goal for Game 1 of the playoffs against the powerful Bruins.
Related: Ken Dryden’s “The Game,” Still a Classic
Dryden had only played six regular-season NHL games up to that point, but he was thrust into the pressure-packed playoff game against one of the best NHL teams in history. In his first NHL playoff series, the 23-year-old showed incredible poise and skill. After the seven-game series was over, Dryden led his team to a series victory. He was named the Conn…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…