Cornell, 1969
Ken Dryden was an Honorary Inductee to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ken Dryden was raised in Islington-City Centre West (then just outside Toronto). While in high school, he was drafted overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1964 NHL Amateur Draft and 14 days later was traded to the Montreal. After all the chaos, Dryden passed on professional play to attended Cornell University.
At Cornell, Dryden led the Big Red to the 1967 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship and three consecutive ECAC tournament titles. Dryden was an All-American three times and had a goals-against average of 1.65 in 71 games. Dryden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Cornell, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Society and vice-president of the Quill and Dagger society. Dryden went on to study law at McGill University.
Dryden started the 1970-71 season with the Montreal Canadiens' farm team in the American Hockey League and combined hockey playing with a full-time class load in law school. Not an easy schedule to follow, Dryden was not the average student-athlete.
As an ‘octopus’ goalie, Dryden was known for being cool and confident, not the typical on edge goalie. After watching the first game from the press box, Dryden played in six games that season. In the final round series against Boston, Dryden made numerous saves to upset the defending champs four games to three and his team went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Dryden’s professional debut earned him the playoff MVP award and the following year was named top rookie. He was named five times to NHL All-Star teams, won six Stanley Cups with Montreal, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
At just 26 years old, Dryden’s retirement came as a shock to the hockey world, but he soon fould the same level of success while practicing law in Toronto. Dryden quickly proved himself as a standout attorney and public leader.
Dryden has received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Ottawa, University of Windsor, York University, McMaster University, Saint Mary’s University, Niagara University and University of British Columbia.
Throwing his hat into the political arena, Dryden joined the Liberal Party of Canada and ran for the House of Commons in the federal election held in June 2004. He was elected to Parliament and was named to Cabinet as Minister of Social Development. Dryden was re-elected to Parliament in the 2006 federal election.
Dryden and his wife, Lynda, have two grown children, Sarah and Michael. He also has two grandchildren.