Remembering Canadiens Legend Ken Dryden

The following season, 1971-72, Dryden won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year and became the first and only player to win the Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup before winning the rookie of the year award and before losing a regular-season game. The Canadiens won six Stanley Cups in the 1970s, and Dryden won five Vezina Trophies for top goaltender. The fact that Dryden only played seven full seasons in the NHL means he won the Stanley Cup every season but two (if you count his first season, where he played only six regular-season games). He was also named the top goaltender in five of those seven full seasons.

Dryden Takes a Year Off in Contract Dispute

By the end of the 1972-73 season, Dryden had just won the Stanley Cup and the Vezina Trophy and was looking for a new contract. The Canadiens were looking to keep him, but didn’t want to pay what Dryden thought he was worth. On this day in 1973, Dryden announced at a press conference in Montreal that he was not coming back to the Canadiens for the upcoming 1973-74 season. Unable to agree with the Canadiens organization to renegotiate his contract, the 26-year-old mentioned that six NHL goaltenders were better paid than he was in the NHL in 1972-73. Dryden had hoped to receive a three-year contract for a cumulative amount of $500,000.

In turn, Montreal offered him a one-year contract with a two-year extension valued at $110,000 and $120,000, respectively. That salary was the same as the team’s captain, Henri Richard, at the time, the highest-paid player on the team. Sam Pollock, the Montreal general manager at the time, believed the Canadiens could be just as successful without Dryden and decided to let him sit out the season. Pollock was half right, as the Habs did have a successful season, going 42-24-9 playing a three-goalie tandem of Wayne Thomas, Michel Larouque and Michel Plasse. They did, however, lose in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Rangers in six games. Dryden resolved his contract issues and returned the following season.

Loved and Worshiped, Dryden Was the Heart of a Province

Dryden only played eight seasons in the NHL, but those seasons were so legendary that they captivated the hearts and souls of an entire province and an entire nation. In Quebec, hockey isn’t just a game, it’s a way of life and to some a religion. When the Habs are winning, the entire province of Quebec seems to be alive, the mood is better, and people are happier. This was tenfold in the 1970s, when it seemed like Montreal would be having a parade on St. Catherine’s Street every summer. Dryden was a major contributor to that success. The people of Montreal, the people of Quebec, and the people of Canada all knew it.

As the years go on, it seems the city of Montreal has to mourn another hero, and Dryden is often on everyone’s Mount Rushmore of Canadiens heroes. Although born in Hamilton, Ontario, he was an honorary Quebecois and a legend on the streets of Montreal. His career was short, but his success lives on forever. It is even more devastating to Hab fans that his death happened on the same day as the team traded future goaltending legend Carey Price, officially ending his career with the organization. In one day, the city lost two legends, so to speak. When people mourn, however, they also celebrate someone’s life, and with Dryden, there is a lot to celebrate.

If you’re not old enough to remember the championships, the parades and the wins, go back and look at the highlights. Ask a relative to tell you about how exciting the Canadiens were and how this giant of a man carried a province on his shoulders for a decade.