Every player in the NHL has their own position to play, and some of them become very famous for this. One of these positions is the goalie. While Canada has many players in this position to be proud of, one that stands out is Ken Dryden.
As a Youngster
Ken was born in what was then the small town of Hamilton which is part of Ontario. In his early years, he played for the Etobicoke Indians and the Humber Valley Packers. His enthusiasm for the game and the development of his skills paid off. He was drafted in 1964 for the NHL amateur team for the Boston Bruins. But within a few short days, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. Ken had other aspirations besides hockey and rather than play for the Canadiens he pursued his education. While still being involved in hockey, he withdrew from the NHL for some time so he could earn a degree in law.
In the NHL
It was in 1971 when Ken really began to stand out for the fans. It started when he played his first NHL game against his brother Dave Dryden. At this point, Ken had been called up from the minors. He only got to play six of the regular season games. But during this gameplay, his goals-against average came in a 1.65, which was very impressive. It was Ken who helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup. For himself, he became the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy. Then, adding to this, the next year he won the rookie of the year award which was the Calder Trophy.
While hockey was important to Ken, so was furthering his law career. Overall, compared to many other players, his career in hockey was considered to be short. Even so, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame which took place in 1983. The jersey number 29 went into retirement.