Dave Dryden
Dryden with the St. Michaels Majors, c.1961
Born (1941-09-05)September 5, 1941
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Died October 4, 2022(2022-10-04) (aged 81)
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 186 lb (84 kg; 13 st 4 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for
Playing career 19621979

David Murray Dryden (September 5, 1941 – October 4, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, who created and first used the modern goaltending mask, consisting of fibreglass and a cage.[1] From 1962 to 1980, he played nine seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks, Buffalo Sabres, and Edmonton Oilers, and in the World Hockey Association between 1974 and 1979 with the Chicago Cougars and Edmonton Oilers, as well as for other smaller teams in other minor leagues.

Early life

Dryden was born in Hamilton, Ontario,[2] on September 5, 1941.[3][4] His father, Murray, worked as a brick salesman and became a philanthropist; his mother, Margaret (Campbell), was a kindergarten teacher.[5] He was the older brother of Ken Dryden. Dryden began his junior career with the Aurora Bears in 1958,[6] before playing two seasons for the St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). He then joined the Toronto Marlboros in 1961.[6][7]

Professional career

Dryden played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1962 to 1979, playing for the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Black Hawks, Chicago Cougars, and Edmonton Oilers. He made his NHL debut on February 3, 1962, with the Rangers, serving as an emergency backup for Gump Worsley.[8] On March 20, 1971, in a game between his Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens, Dryden faced his brother Ken, the first time in the history of the NHL that brothers opposed each other as goalies.[9][10] The brothers met again five more times.

Dryden's best years came in the WHA, while playing for the Oilers. Of all the Oilers' goaltenders during their membership in the WHA, he played the most games (197) and earned the most wins (94). He was the goalie against whom Wayne Gretzky scored his first professional goal  during Gretzky's short stint with the Indianapolis Racers, before quickly becoming Dryden's teammate with the Oilers.[11] Dryden won the Ben Hatskin Trophy as the WHA's top goaltender and the Gordie Howe Trophy as league MVP in 1979.[3] Two years prior, Dryden designed the first mask-cage combination goalie mask; maskmaker Greg Harrison transferred his design drawings into a final product which Dryden[12] wore for the Oilers. The mask is on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.[13] The mask-cage combination goalie mask is now the norm in modern hockey.[4]

Personal life

Dryden was married to Sandra for 59 years until his death. Together, they had two children. He was the brother of Ken Dryden. He was the chair person of Sleeping Children Around the World charity (founded by his father) which provides bed kits to children in developing countries.[4][14]

Dryden died on October 4, 2022, at the age of 81, from complications following a surgery for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.[14][15][16] Sleeping Children Around the World and the National Hockey League announced that they would be launching a donation initiative in his name to provide bed kits to children in developing countries.[17]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLTMINGASOGAASV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1958–59 Aurora Bears MetJHL 48288017033.54
1959–60 St. Michael's Majors OHA 125617203913.25 10020206.00
1960–61 St. Michael's Majors OHA 1810806613.67
1961–62 Toronto Marlboros MetJHL 32178618809933.16 12757204904.08
1961–62 New York Rangers NHL 101040304.50.885
1961–62 Rochester Americans AHL 100020206.00
1962–63 Galt Hornets OHA Sr 40 240017424.35 42402706.75
1963–64 Galt Hornets OHA Sr 39234014103.62 11656603613.27
1964–65 Galt Hornets OHA Sr 35204010613.12 10160606.00
1964–65 Buffalo Bisons AHL 4400240611.50
1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 113414532303.05.921 10013000.001.000
1966–67 St. Louis Braves CPHL 48171714288015823.29
1967–68 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 2799212686913.26.900
1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 301211214757933.21.904
1969–70 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 2020120603.00
1970–71 Buffalo Sabres NHL 103304092313.37.900
1970–71 Salt Lake Golden Eagles WHL 81603643405.60
1971–72 Buffalo Sabres NHL 2039510266803.98.887
1972–73 Buffalo Sabres NHL 371413720188932.65.908 202120904.50.873
1973–74 Buffalo Sabres NHL 5323208298714812.97.894
1974–75 Chicago Cougars WHA 4518261272817613.87.895
1975–76 Edmonton Oilers WHA 6222345356723513.95.878 3031801505.00
1976–77 Edmonton Oilers WHA 241013014167713.26.889
1977–78 Edmonton Oilers WHA 4821232257815023.49.879 20191603.96
1978–79 Edmonton Oilers WHA 6341172353117032.89.890 13676874203.67
1979–80 Edmonton Oilers NHL 142737445304.27.848
WHA totals 2421121131013,82080883.51.886 186119586303.95
NHL totals 20369772810,42055593.20.897 302133904.06.885
Sources:[3][6][7]

References

  1. "Pre-Game Skate – Evolution – Goaltender's Equipment". September 26, 2008. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008.
  2. Cole, Stephen (2006). The Canadian Hockey Atlas. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 978-0-385-66093-8.
  3. 1 2 3 "Dave Dryden Stats". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Stubbs, Dave (October 7, 2022). "Dave Dryden, former NHL goalie, mask pioneer, dies at 81". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  5. Intini, John (March 17, 2003). "Murray Dryden (Profile)". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Dave Dryden Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Dave Dryden Hockey Stats and Profile". HockeyDB. The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  8. Stubbs, Dave (October 8, 2022). "Dave Dryden's date with history nearly eluded late NHL goalie". NHL.com. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  9. Stubbs, Dave (March 8, 2016). "Deadline recall started Dryden's road to glory". NHL.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  10. Denault, Todd (June 11, 2011). "Backchecking: Dave Dryden". TheHockeyNews. The Hockey News. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  11. The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association, p.224, McLelland and Stewart, Toronto, ON, ISBN 0-7710-8947-3
  12. MacGregor, Roy (January 8, 2017). "Game changer: How the goalie mask transformed the face of hockey". theglobeandmail.com. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  13. Ryning, David (October 23, 2015). "Dave Dryden talks gear, fear and Gretzky". Edmonton Journal. p. D7. ProQuest 1726399169. Retrieved October 7, 2022 via ProQuest.
  14. 1 2 Harrington, Mike (October 7, 2022). "Dave Dryden, former Sabres goalie and brother of Hall of Famer, dies at 81". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  15. "Former NHL goaltender Dave Dryden passes away at 81". TSN.ca. October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  16. "Obituary for David Murray Dryden". Koprivataylor.com. Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  17. Stubbs, Dave. "Dave Dryden, former NHL goalie, mask pioneer, dies at 81". www.nhl.com. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
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