Former NHL goalie Dave Dryden, who played parts of four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and made a memorable start in goal against his Hall of Fame brother in 1971, died Tuesday. He had turned 81 last month.
Dryden's death was announced by his funeral home in Oakville, Ont., which said he died from complications following surgery for CTEPH, a blood clot disease.
Acquired in a cash transaction with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 9, 1970, Dryden was a part of the first four seasons in Sabres history, serving behind Joe Daley and Roger Crozier before playing 53 games as Buffalo's starting goalie in 1973-74. He went 43-45-20 while playing 120 games for the Sabres, posting an NHL career-high 23 wins for Buffalo in '73-74. He is 11th in Sabres history in games played, 12th in wins and one of just 15 goalies to play at least 100 games for the club.
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Dryden is widely credited as the designer of the modern day goaltending mask consisting of a fiberglass mask combined with a cage, after most masked goalies in the '60s and '70s wore full fiberglass against their faces. He is most remembered for a game at the Montreal Forum on March 20, 1971, when he met his brother, Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden, and became the first siblings to oppose each other in goal in NHL history. Each Dryden gave up two goals as Montreal won, 5-2.
Dave Dryden, who was six years older than Ken, started the game but Montreal opted to go with veteran Rogie Vachon, so Buffalo coach Punch Imlach pulled Dave Dryden two minutes into the game. When Vachon was injured, Ken Dryden took over the Montreal net. So Imlach put Dave Dryden back on the ice for Buffalo.
The brothers met again on Oct. 28, 1972, in a 3-3 tie at the Forum that saw Buffalo enter with a 5-0-3 record while Montreal was 6-0-3.
"The National Hockey League mourns the recent passing of former goaltender, equipment innovator, educator and philanthropist Dave Dryden," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement issued by the league Friday afternoon. "Respected and liked by all who were lucky enough to know him, Dryden made contributions to our game beyond his 14 seasons tending goal as a pro in the NHL and WHA – including a memorable game when he and brother, Ken, became the first siblings to play goal against each other in the NHL.
"In the mid-1970s, he reimagined the goalie mask, designing the combination fiberglass helmet and birdcage front that greatly increased protection, transformed the way the position could be played and remains the most popular in use today. After retirement, he worked with the League on refinements to equipment, always focused on better protecting athletes. He also pursued a lengthy post-playing career as an elementary school principal and ran the bed-providing charity Sleeping Children Around the World that his parents founded.
"We send our deepest condolences to Dave’s wife, Sandra, their two children and six grandchildren and all whose lives and careers were improved by his work."
This photo is from 2007, when Dave wore a #Sabres jersey while speaking at Ken's jersey retirement in the Bell Centre. https://t.co/WqTqMpIc1F
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) October 7, 2022
In his minor league days, Dave Dryden played four games for the Buffalo Bisons in the 1964-65 season. His stint with the Sabres ended when he left Buffalo in 1974 for the World Hockey Association, where he played one season for the Chicago Cougars and four for the Edmonton Oilers. He finished seventh all-time among WHA goalies in games played (242) and wins (112).
Dryden finished his career back in the NHL with the Oilers in 1979-80, and his final two pro seasons were spent as a teammate of a young Wayne Gretzky. Oddly enough, Dryden was beaten by Gretzky for the 17-year-old's first professional goal while Gretzky was playing for the Indianapolis Racers in 1978.
After his hockey career ended, the Hamilton native settled in Oakville and Mississauga for a career in education and spent many years as an elementary school principal. He was also a major volunteer and board chairman for the charity that his parents founded in 1970 and provides bed kits to children in developing countries. It is the charity where donations can be made in his name. The NHL said it would be making a donation.
Dryden is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sandra, as well as two children, six grandchildren, his brother and a sister. Services will be Sunday in Oakville.
