Goalie and best-selling author Ken Dryden
Etobicoke native, six time Stanley Cup winning goalie and bestselling author Ken Dryden has released his latest book which is getting great reviews.
The book, called The Class: a Memoir of a Place, a Time and Us, deals with him tracking down former classmates of Class 9G as a student at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute.
The Class, Ken Dryden’s latest book.
The 35 students of what was known as a Selected Class stayed together through high school and would spend more than 200 days a year together, according to a foreword in the book.
“Few had known each other before,” the book stated. “Few have been in other than accidental contact in all the decades since.”
Dryden was one the students, who all came from working class backgrounds. Other students of the 1,600 student school included Olympic gold medalist rower Marney McBean, famous musician Jeff Healy and Harold Ship, founder of the former Ship Centre.
Etobicoke native Ken Dryden won six Stanley Cups.
”In his varied, improbable life, he had wondered often how he had gotten from there to here,” the foreword asked. “He decided to try and find his classmates, to see how they are, what they are doing, how life has been for them.”
The former president of the Toronto Maple Leafs said they (he and former classmates) talked for long hours and ‘most were married, some divorced, most had kids and many grandkids.’
Dryden, now 66, was a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, during which time the team won six Stanley Cups. He also played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series.
The Series was one of his best-sellers based on his life with the Montreal Canadiens.
He displayed skill from a young age and was drafted in 1964 by the Montreal Canadiens. Focused on getting an education, he attended Cornell University in 1965.
After he graduated, he made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in 1970, playing in six winning games, which secured him a spot as a goalie for the playoffs.
He has been inducted as an officer of the Order of Canada, the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and was a former Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister. He is the author of a number of best-selling books, including The Game, Home Game (with Roy MacGregor), Game Change, and The Series.
Dryden retired in 1979 after winning six Stanley Cups to pursue a law degree. He turned his attention to writing and his most famous work The Game, which was released in 1983, is based on his career with the Canadiens became a hockey classic.
Ken Dryden in his prime with the Canadiens.
He and his wife, Lynda, live in Toronto and have two children and four grandchildren.
‘It (The Class) is a book which asks us to consider, when almost anything seems within reach, what do we reach for?” according to promotional materials.
“Ken has analyzed the period of time and has now put it in writing,” Roger wrote in a review. “I look forward to reading it.”
“Very true, and we of that era had respect for our elders and for each other,” said Miguel. “Well said Ken, Looking forward to reading the book. Wish you long life.”
“Prosperity is good, but people always look for a deeper meaning in life usually politics or religion,” wrote Halina.
“Sounds like Ken was a golden spoon in those golden times,” echoed Dean.
At 488 pages, The Class can be obtained at Amazon.ca or Kindle.