Dryden, who helped Habs to six Cups, dies at 78

""Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man," owner Geoff Molson said. "Behind the mask he was larger than life. We mourn today not only the loss of the cornerstone of one of hockey's greatest dynasties but also a family man, a thoughtful citizen and a gentleman who deeply impacted our lives and communities across generations.""

""Ken embodied the best of everything the Montreal Canadiens are about," Molson said."

""Dryden backstopped the NHL's most successful franchise to the championship in seven of his eight seasons in the league from 1970-71 to '78-79.""

Ken Dryden, a Hall of Fame goaltender from Hamilton, Ontario, died at 78 after battling cancer; his family requested privacy. Dryden backstopped the Montreal Canadiens to championships in seven of his eight NHL seasons from 1970-71 to 1978-79, winning six Stanley Cups. He played three seasons at Cornell University (1966-69), leading the Big Red to the 1967 NCAA title, and was a key member of Canada's 1972 Summit Series team that defeated the Soviet Union. Dryden retired at 32, worked in broadcasting, wrote the well-known hockey book "The Game," and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

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