Ken Dryden's #29 Retired By Canadiens
From Canadian Press:
MONTREAL (CP) - The pantheon of Montreal Canadiens' immortals has a new member - goaltending great Ken Dryden.
The erudite goaltender from the powerhouse Canadiens of the 1970s had his No. 29 retired Monday night prior to the club's 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators in a moving 48-minute ceremony at the Bell Centre. Alternating between French and English as he addressed the sell-out crowd, the 59-year-old thanked the fans and people of Quebec for accepting a young goaltender from Toronto who joined the team in 1971 and went on to greatness.
"How do I thank you?" Dryden asked after receiving a long standing ovation. "Sometimes when you're lucky you get really lucky.
"I was lucky to be here in Montreal, in Quebec, to play at the Montreal Forum and to be a member of the Montreal Canadiens. You gave me a gift. Thank you."
Dryden was joined on the ice by his wife, Lynda, his two children and a three-week-old grandchild, while his older brother, Dave, a former Buffalo Sabres goalie, and his first coach, Al McNeil, addressed the crowd.
A banner with Dryden's name and number was raised from just in front of the Canadiens' net, brought out by captain Saku Koivu and the two current goalies - Cristobal Huet and David Aebischer. The Canadiens, all wearing jerseys with No. 29, applauded from their bench.
"This is that final piece," a visibly moved Dryden said later. "Who would ever dream of having their number retired by the Montreal Canadiens? It's just great."
Former coach Scotty Bowman, teammate Larry Robinson and former Boston Bruins star Wayne Cashman offered taped testimonials on the scoreboard.
Dryden was introduced at centre ice by his opposite number in the pivotal 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union - Vladislav Tretiak - who received a standing ovation almost as warm.
"I played against Team Canada in 1972 and in 1975 against the Montreal Canadiens - the best hockey I ever saw," said Tretiak, now president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. "Ken Dryden played unbelievable.
"He was a fantastic goalie and a great man."
Dryden, 59, had a 258-57-74 career record with a 2.24 goals-against average and 46 shutouts in 397 regular-season NHL games, all for Montreal.
Dryden joins other Habs stars: He is the 12th Canadien to get the ultimate tribute.
The others were: Jacques Plante (1); Doug Harvey (2); Jean Beliveau (4); Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion (5); Howie Morenz (7); Maurice (Rocket) Richard (9); Guy Lafleur (10); Yvon Cournoyer and Dickie Moore (12); Henri (Pocket Rocket) Richard (16); and Serge Savard (18).
MONTREAL (CP) - The pantheon of Montreal Canadiens' immortals has a new member - goaltending great Ken Dryden.
The erudite goaltender from the powerhouse Canadiens of the 1970s had his No. 29 retired Monday night prior to the club's 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators in a moving 48-minute ceremony at the Bell Centre. Alternating between French and English as he addressed the sell-out crowd, the 59-year-old thanked the fans and people of Quebec for accepting a young goaltender from Toronto who joined the team in 1971 and went on to greatness.
"How do I thank you?" Dryden asked after receiving a long standing ovation. "Sometimes when you're lucky you get really lucky.
"I was lucky to be here in Montreal, in Quebec, to play at the Montreal Forum and to be a member of the Montreal Canadiens. You gave me a gift. Thank you."
Dryden was joined on the ice by his wife, Lynda, his two children and a three-week-old grandchild, while his older brother, Dave, a former Buffalo Sabres goalie, and his first coach, Al McNeil, addressed the crowd.
A banner with Dryden's name and number was raised from just in front of the Canadiens' net, brought out by captain Saku Koivu and the two current goalies - Cristobal Huet and David Aebischer. The Canadiens, all wearing jerseys with No. 29, applauded from their bench.
"This is that final piece," a visibly moved Dryden said later. "Who would ever dream of having their number retired by the Montreal Canadiens? It's just great."
Former coach Scotty Bowman, teammate Larry Robinson and former Boston Bruins star Wayne Cashman offered taped testimonials on the scoreboard.
Dryden was introduced at centre ice by his opposite number in the pivotal 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union - Vladislav Tretiak - who received a standing ovation almost as warm.
"I played against Team Canada in 1972 and in 1975 against the Montreal Canadiens - the best hockey I ever saw," said Tretiak, now president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. "Ken Dryden played unbelievable.
"He was a fantastic goalie and a great man."
Dryden, 59, had a 258-57-74 career record with a 2.24 goals-against average and 46 shutouts in 397 regular-season NHL games, all for Montreal.
Dryden joins other Habs stars: He is the 12th Canadien to get the ultimate tribute.
The others were: Jacques Plante (1); Doug Harvey (2); Jean Beliveau (4); Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion (5); Howie Morenz (7); Maurice (Rocket) Richard (9); Guy Lafleur (10); Yvon Cournoyer and Dickie Moore (12); Henri (Pocket Rocket) Richard (16); and Serge Savard (18).
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