Six Stanley Cups in eight seasons — arguably the best goals-against average in NHL playoff history.
Kenneth Wayne Dryden was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1947. He attended Cornell University and was selected by Montreal Canadiens in the 1964 Amateur Draft. His professional career lasted only eight active seasons — yet produced six Stanley Cup championships (1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979). He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1971 — his first playoff appearance — and five Vezina Trophies as the NHL's best goaltender (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979). His career goals-against average of 2.24 is the lowest in modern NHL history. He took a year off from hockey in 1974-75 to article as a law student — then returned and continued winning championships. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. After his playing career he became a bestselling author — his book The Game is widely considered the finest piece of sports literature in Canadian history. He was elected to Canada's Parliament and served as Minister of Social Development. He is one of the most intellectually distinguished figures in the history of professional sport.
Stanley Cup 6x (1971,1973,1976,1977,1978,1979)
He won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP before winning the Rookie of the Year award — the only player in NHL history to win them in that order.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Stanley Cup 6x (1971,1973,1976,1977,1978,1979)
- Vezina Trophy 5x
- Conn Smythe Trophy
- Hall of Fame (1983)
- NHL 100 Greatest Players