Former Canadiens’ goaltender Ken Dryden dies at 78

Ken Dryden, a former Montreal Canadiens goaltender and federal cabinet minister, has died.

The hockey star passed away on Friday after a battle with cancer. He was 78 years old.

Dryden had been selected 14th overall by the Boston Bruins during the 1964 NHL Draft.

Just over two weeks later, the team traded the 16-year-old to the Montreal Canadiens.

But it would be several years later before he hit the ice with the Canadiens in 1971.

Dryden decided to pursue a college degree at Cornell University, where he played for the school’s hockey team.

He also took a break during the 1973-74 season to work for a Toronto law firm after being unhappy with the Canadiens’ contract offer.

Dryden helped the Canadiens win a total of six Stanley Cups before his final retirement at the end of the 1979 season.

He won the Vezina Trophy five times — the fourth most in NHL history — and was later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Order of Canada.

Dryden was named president of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997 and stayed on until 2004, when he successfully ran for the Liberals in the Toronto riding of York Centre.

He won the riding by more than 11,000 votes and was named social development minister by Prime Minister Paul Martin.

The hockey star was reelected in 2006 and 2008 before losing his seat to Conservative candidate Mark Adler in the 2011 federal election.