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Tributes Highlight Ken Dryden’s Singular Life in Hockey and Public Service After His Death at 78

Remembrances focus on a champion goaltender who challenged convention, then pursued public-interest reforms.

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Western Canada Montreal Canadiens Fan Club president and founder James Taman standing behind a tribute created for six-time Stanley Cup champion Ken Dryden, who died on September 5, 2025
Ken Dryden is recognized during a pre-game ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Team Canada's victory in the 1972 Summit Series, prior to NHL preseason action between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn
A woman pays her respects and visits the tribute marker of Ken Dryden at the Bell Centre after hearing of his death. Photo taken in Montreal, on Saturday, September 6, 2025. (Allen McInnis/Postmedia Network)

Overview

  • Dryden’s death at 78 became public over the weekend, with friends and colleagues noting he had kept a long cancer fight private.
  • The Hall of Famer won six Stanley Cups and five Vezina trophies with Montreal, capturing the 1971 Conn Smythe after backstopping an upset of Boston.
  • Coverage recalls his year away to finish a law degree, a break linked in reporting to a contract dispute, before returning to win four straight Vezinas and Cups and retiring at 31.
  • Post-playing roles included authoring The Game and later Game Change on concussions, serving as Toronto Maple Leafs president in 1997, and entering federal politics with the Liberals.
  • Tributes emphasize his advocacy for player safety, concussion awareness, respect for officials, and broader civic work, with fans and former players remembering an influential voice beyond the crease.