Dave Dryden

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. 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. In the 1978–79 season, at the age of 37, Dryden led the Oilers to the best record in WHA with 41 wins and became the first player in franchise history to win a league Most Valuable Player award. He was the only goaltender to win the WHA's MVP award. When the team made the NHL the following year, he played 14 games to close out his career.

Early life Dryden was born in Hamilton, Ontario, on September 5, 1941. His father, Murray, worked as a brick salesman and became a philanthropist; his mother, Margaret (Campbell), was a kindergarten teacher. He was the older brother of Ken Dryden. Dryden began his junior career with the Aurora Bears in 1958, 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. 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 goalduring Gretzky's short stint with the Indianapolis Racers, before quickly becoming Dryden's teammate with the Oilers. Dryden won the Ben Hatskin Trophy as the WHA's top goaltender and the Gordie Howe Trophy as league MVP in 1979, and he was named to the First Team All-Stars. wore for the Oilers. The mask is on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The mask-cage combination goalie mask is now the norm in modern hockey. 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 chairperson of Sleeping Children Around the World charity (founded by his father) which provides bed kits to children in developing countries.

Dryden died on October 4, 2022, at the age of 81, from complications following surgery for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. 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.

Awards and achievements Played in 1974 NHL All-Star Game Won the 1979 Ben Hatskin Trophy as the WHA's top goaltender World Hockey Association most valuable player, 1979 (Gordie Howe Trophy) 1978–79 WHA season World Hockey Association First Team All-Star

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 1958–59 Aurora Bears MetJHL 48 — — — 2880 170 3 3.54 — — — — — — — — — 1959–60 St. Michael's Majors OHA 12 5 6 1 720 39 1 3.25 — 1 0 0 20 2 0 6.00 — 1960–61 St. Michael's Majors OHA 18 — — — 1080 66 1 3.67 — — — — — — — — — 1961–62 Toronto Marlboros MetJHL 32 17 8 6 1880 99 3 3.16 — 12 7 5 720 49 0 4.08 — 1961–62 New York Rangers NHL 1 0 1 0 40 3 0 4.50 .885 — — — — — — — — 1961–62 Rochester Americans AHL 1 0 0 0 20 2 0 6.00 — — — — — — — — — 1962–63 Galt Hornets OHA Sr 40 — — — 2400 174 2 4.35 — 4 — — 240 27 0 6.75 — 1963–64 Galt Hornets OHA Sr 39 — — — 2340 141 0 3.62 — 11 6 5 660 36 1 3.27 — 1964–65 Galt Hornets OHA Sr 35 — — — 2040 106 1 3.12 — 1 0 1 60 6 0 6.00 — 1964–65 Buffalo Bisons AHL 4 4 0 0 240 6 1 1.50 — — — — — — — — — 1965–66 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 11 3 4 1 453 23 0 3.05 .921 1 0 0 13 0 0 0.00 1.000 1966–67 St. Louis Braves CPHL 48 17 17 14 2880 158 2 3.29 — — — — — — — — — 1967–68 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 27 9 9 2 1268 69 1 3.26 .900 — — — — — — — — 1968–69 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 30 12 11 2 1475 79 3 3.21 .904 — — — — — — — — 1969–70 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 2 0 2 0 120 6 0 3.00 — — — — — — — — — 1970–71 Buffalo Sabres NHL 10 3 3 0 409 23 1 3.37 .900 — — — — — — — — 1970–71 Salt Lake Golden Eagles WHL 8 1 6 0 364 34 0 5.60 — — — — — — — — — 1971–72 Buffalo Sabres NHL 20 3 9 5 1026 68 0 3.98 .887 — — — — — — — — 1972–73 Buffalo Sabres NHL 37 14 13 7 2018 89 3 2.65 .908 2 0 2 120 9 0 4.50 .873 1973–74 Buffalo Sabres NHL 53 23 20 8 2987 148 1 2.97 .894 — — — — — — — — 1974–75 Chicago Cougars WHA 45 18 26 1 2728 176 1 3.87 .895 — — — — — — — — 1975–76 Edmonton Oilers WHA 62 22 34 5 3567 235 1 3.95 .878 3 0 3 180 15 0 5.00 — 1976–77 Edmonton Oilers WHA 24 10 13 0 1416 77 1 3.26 .889 — — — — — — — — 1977–78 Edmonton Oilers WHA 48 21 23 2 2578 150 2 3.49 .879 2 0 1 91 6 0 3.96 — 1978–79 Edmonton Oilers WHA 63 41 17 2 3531 170 3 2.89 .890 13 6 7 687 42 0 3.67 — 1979–80 Edmonton Oilers NHL 14 2 7 3 744 53 0 4.27 .848 — — — — — — — — WHA totals 242 112 113 10 13,820 808 8 3.51 .886 18 6 11 958 63 0 3.95 — NHL totals 203 69 77 28 10,420 555 9 3.20 .897 3 0 2 133 9 0 4.06 .885 Sources: