One of the greatest, and most interesting, goaltenders in NHL history just passed away.

Former Montreal Canadiens netminder Ken Dryden has died at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer.

Dryden leaves behind an incredible legacy as a hockey player, manager, author, and politician. Here are 7 reasons why the Ontario native was such an icon.

1. Led Canadiens to the Stanley Cup as a rookie

Prior to the start of the 1971 NHL playoffs, Dryden had played just six career games. During those six games, he had a .957 save percentage and hadn’t lost once.

Clearly, that was a sign of things to come.

When Habs starting netminder, Rogie Vachon went down with an injury, head coach Scotty Bowman turned to Dryden. The 23-year-old didn’t disappoint, leading the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup. Dry

See Full Page