Stripes: Dryden Left a Legacy of Class

Fifty-six years ago (time flies), my father Bill Stewart Jr. refereed an ECAC championship college game at Boston Garden between BU and Cornell. I watched the game from the stands. Cornell goaltender Ken Dryden was the star of the game.

Even by today’s standards, the 6-foot-4 Dryden was a tall goalie. By the standards of the era, however, he was practically a giant. Dryden was the best positional goalie I ever saw. He didn’t make many spectacular saves because he didn’t have to. He rarely committed first and he had a mental “book” on the shooters. Even in college hockey, Dryden was already a cerebral, polished goaltender.

He was also very competitive. He allowed just one goal in the warmup but was disgusted with himself. He promptly ejected the puck from the net and sent it into the corner. Cornell won in overtime.

Dryden changed the position

Ken Dryden made great Montreal Canadiens teams even better. Yes, he had a slew of Hall of Fame talent around him on defense and up front. That doesn’t take a thing away from his legacy. The Hall of Famers on the Habs of the 1970s had an elite goaltender behind them. It was a two-way street. He didn’t ride anyone’s coattails to six Stanley Cup championships and five Vezina Trophies.

Dryden played in an era blessed with a lot of Hall of Fame netminders: Bernie Parent, Tony Esposito, Rogie Vachon, Gerry Cheevers, Eddie Giacomin, etc. They were all great players. However, the sheer volume of hardware Dryden collected stands alone.

A Chance Meeting

Dryden wrote one of my favorite books — not just hockey books. It’s called The Game. He wrote it himself: no ghost writer, no “as-told-to” wordsmith. The book, written in 1983, remains one of the most insightful looks into the sport. If you’ve never read it, check it out. I promise it will be worth your time.

I met Ken after his playing days during the 2000 All-Star weekend. I told him that I saw him play in college. It was my favorite memory of his playing days.

“You saw me play in Ithaca?” he asked.

I told him the game was in Boston and my father was the referee.

“Bill Stewart was your dad? You know, I never made that connection. He was an excellent official,” Ken said.

“You played a great game. You only gave up one goal. But you shot the puck into the corner during warmups,” I said.

He smiled. “Yeah, I used to do that. How do you remember that?”

“I enjoyed watching you. I wasn’t a naturally gifted player but I do think I’m a student of the game. I had to be,” I said.

Ken and I went on to talk for a long time. I’ll always cherish that conversation. Talking to him was an education and a pleasure.

Dave Dryden was another gentleman

Ken Dryden’s brother and fellow goaltender, Dave, was another true gentleman of the sport. We were teammates, albeit very briefly.

In 1976-77, I signed a tryout contract with the Edmonton Oilers in the World Hockey Association. Frankly, it was a waste of time. Coach Bep Guidolin didn’t have much use for me. I appeared into two games and was told my services were no longer needed. I traveled a long way to skate a few shifts and get cut.

However, it wasn’t all bad. I enjoyed getting to know Dave a little bit. He even drove me to the airport so I wouldn’t have to scramble for transportation. Away from hockey, he was a teacher and a philanthopist.

Dave passed away in 2022. We just lost Ken after a bout with cancer. Both Drydens gifted us many things in the game. However, their greatest legacies came off the ice.

Paul Stewart is the only American-born person to be both a player and referee in the National Hockey League. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. Stewart’s autobiography, entitled Ya Wanna Go, was also published in 2018.