Ken Dryden, one of hockey’s legendary goaltenders, died on September 5, 2025, after a battle with cancer. He was 78. The Canadiens announced his passing on Saturday, noting that he died peacefully at home surrounded by family.
Born in 1947, Dryden became the backbone of the Montreal Canadiens during the 1970s. In 1971, before even being considered an official rookie, he stunned the hockey world by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason’s most valuable player and helping Montreal capture the Stanley Cup. The following season, he was awarded the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
Across eight NHL seasons, from 1970 to 1979, the Hall of Famer collected six Stanley Cups, five Vezina Trophies, and six All-Star selections. He posted a remarkable career record of 258 wins, 57 losses, and 74 ties, missing only the 1973-74 season in a contract standoff, during which he briefly worked as a lawyer. He came back in 1974–75 and led the Canadiens to four straight championships before retiring after the 1979 title run.
Dryden is survived by his wife, Lynda, their two children, and four grandchildren.
Ken Dryden and His Wife Lynda Were College Sweethearts
Dryden met Lynda Curran while they were both students at Cornell University. He was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in History and playing goaltender for the Big Red hockey team until his graduation in 1969.
After completing his degree, Dryden and Lynda married, and their life together carried through his playing career and the years that followed.
They later settled in Toronto, where they continued to live with their family.
Ken Dryden’s Children, Michael and Sarah
Ken Dryden and his spouse, Lynda, had two children, Sarah and Michael.
Sarah Dryden-Peterson built her career in education research, specializing in refugee issues. She is a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and founded Refugee REACH, a program dedicated to research, education, and action on refugee education around the world.
Sarah married Jacques, a human rights activist from Congo. Jacques had spoken out against the persecution of his minority Bahunde community, and his activism led to imprisonment and torture. He escaped captivity when a prison fire forced his guards to flee.
The couple’s son, Michael, married Tammy Shewchuk, a standout in women’s ice hockey. Shewchuk earned gold medals with Team Canada at the 2000 and 2001 Women’s World Hockey Championships and later competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. At the Games, she scored once and assisted on another goal as Canada won the gold medal.
A Harvard graduate with a degree in English literature, Shewchuk combined academic accomplishment with athletic success.
Through the marriages of Sarah and Michael, Ken and Lynda became grandparents to four grandchildren.
