TORONTO (Sep. 6) — For sure, the news hit hard. A man of my vintage occasionally rises in the middle of the night with a bloated bladder. As did I after 2 a.m. today. Once back in bed, I perused the sports headlines on my I–Phone and was shocked to learn that hockey legend and Canadian icon Ken Dryden had died of cancer at 78. No one outside of Dryden’s close circle realized he was sick. Had I never gotten to know Dryden, the news would have been melancholy. That I spent six years (1997–2003) in his midst while covering the Toronto Maple Leafs on radio for The FAN–590 — and not always amicably — made it more personal. Yes, I felt very saddened, indeed.

When history remembers Ken Dryden, two elements will immediately stand out: His six Stanley Cup championships in only eight full seasons (1971–79) while tending goal for the dynastic Montreal Canadiens. With Scotty Bowman behind the bench. Guy Lafleur, Jacques Lemaire, Steve Shutt, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe among his illustrious teammates. And, of course, the mid–afternoon (Toronto time) of Sep. 28, 1972, when Dryden dashed the length of the ice at the Lenin Sports Palace in Moscow to revel with his Team Canada ‘mates after Paul Henderson had scored the go–ahead goal in the decisive match of the summit series against the Russians — only to realize that 34 seconds still remained and he needed to gather himself, emotionally. Those seconds evaporated uneventfully and Dryden finally exhaled in triumph. A distant third, perhaps, on the list will be Ken’s largely tumultuous term as president of the Maple Leafs, which started slowly and awkwardly but gained momentum and included several of the most–satisfying seasons for Toronto hockey fans of the post–1967 era.

KEN DRYDEN PERUSES AN EMPTY MAPLE LEAF GARDENS ON THE DAY — MAY 30, 1997 — THAT HE BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE LEAFS, REPLACING THE DEPOSED CLIFF FLETCHER (BELOW).

Despite his obvious intellect, I’m not sure Dryden fully comprehended the task he assumed on May 30, 1997, when Steve Stavro named him president of the Leafs. The club had precipitously declined after a couple of magical seasons (1992–93 and 1993–94) with Pat Burns behind the bench; Doug Gilmour, Dave Andreychuk and Wendel Clark on the ice; Felix Potvin between the pipes. First–round playoff defeats against Chicago (1995) and St. Louis (1996) led to a disastrous 1996–97 campaign, when the club finished 23rd of 26 National Hockey League teams with a record of 30–44–8 for 68 points. It was my third season following the Leafs, home and away, for Canada’s first all–sports radio station. After which, Fletcher was fired by Stavro. Five days later, Dryden took over the hockey club. As many are aware, I kept scrapbooks of Leafs photos and newspaper stories in that era.

Here is a pictorial recollection of Dryden’s early (and difficult) tenure as top man on the Toronto hockey totem pole:

IT WAS MY LEAFS TRAVELING PAL, PAUL HUNTER, WHO FIRST INDICATED (IN THE TORONTO STAR, ABOVE) THAT DRYDEN WAS THE LEADING CANDIDATE TO REPLACE FLETCHER WITH THE LEAFS.

THE DRYDEN ANNOUNCEMENT OCCURRED DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT MAPLE LEAF GARDENS ON MAY 30, 1997, A FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE TORONTO SUN (TOP–LEFT) FEATURED A SMART IMAGE OF THE NEW PRESIDENT STANDING ON THE FLOOR OF THE GARDENS; THE NORTH GOLDS, REDS AND MEZZANINE BLUES IN THE BACKGROUND. LANCE HORNBY, TODAY THE DEAN OF TORONTO HOCKEY WRITERS, PENNED THE LEAD STORY (BELOW).

CREDIBILITY AND INTEGRITY WERE BUZZ WORDS (ABOVE) ACCORDED DRYDEN IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ON SATURDAY. JIM PROUDFOOT, THE LEGENDARY SPORTS COLUMNIST OF THE TORONTO STAR, WROTE ABOUT DRYDEN’S APPOINTMENT WITH THE MAPLE LEAFS (BELOW).

WHILE THOUGHTFUL AND INTROSPECTIVE, DRYDEN FAILED TO MOVE AT THE PACE REQUIRED FOR IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN THE UBER–COMPETITIVE NHL. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO LURE FORMER CANADIENS TEAMMATE BOB GAINEY FROM THE DALLAS STARS AS LEAFS GM (ALLEGEDLY OFFERING THE CLUB’S NO. 1 DEFENCEMAN, MATHIEU SCHNEIDER, IN RETURN) — THEN REPORTEDLY TAKING A RUN AT EX–CAPITALS GM DAVID POILE (WHO WOULD HEAD UP THE NEW NASHVILLE NHL FRANCHISE THE FOLLOWING YEAR) — DRYDEN SETTLED ON AN UNWIELDY AMALGAM (ABOVE AND BELOW) OF FIVE INDIVIDUALS TO WORK WITH INCUMBENT COACH, MIKE MURPHY: HIMSELF AS OVERSEER; FORMER WINNIPEG GM MIKE SMITH TO HANDLE TRADES AND CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS IN ALLIANCE WITH BILL WATTERS (FLETCHER’S LONG–TIME ASSISTANT MANAGER); ANDERS HEDBERG (THE FORMER SWEDISH HOCKEY STAR) AS TOP SCOUT AND AL MacADAM, FORMERLY A GOOD SCORING FORWARD WITH MINNESOTA AND CLEVELAND IN THE NHL, AS HEAD OF THE CLUB’S AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE AFFILIATE. THE ANNOUNCEMENT TOOK PLACE NEARLY THREE MONTHS AFTER DRYDEN’S APPOINTMENT AND LED TO A SECOND YEAR OF MEDIOCRITY FOR THE STRUGGLING TEAM.

TORONTO SUN COLUMNIST STEVE SIMMONS OFFERED HIS OPINION OF THE NEW LEAFS BRASS.

THE MAPLE LEAFS IMPROVED BY ONLY ONE POINT (68 TO 69) IN THE STANDINGS DURING THE 1997–98 SEASON AND MISSED THE PLAYOFFS FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR. GOALTENDING BECAME AN ISSUE AS FELIX POTVIN GRADUALLY DECLINED AND THE CLUB SCORED ONLY 194 GOALS IN 82 GAMES, A MEASLY 2.37 PER MATCH (ONLY TAMPA BAY, OTTAWA AND CHICAGO WERE LESS POTENT). ONCE THE LEAFS HAD BEEN ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF COMPETITION, PAUL HUNTER (ABOVE) AND JIM PROUDFOOT (BELOW) WROTE IN THE STAR.

                   
As with most executives and coaches during the 17 years (1994–2010) that I covered the Leafs on radio, Dryden wasn’t a fan of my directness and candor — neither of which would be tolerated today with the club literally owning the media (Sportsnet and the Leafs are controlled by Rogers, which controls 75% of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment). A typical media scrum with the Leaf president would include a heavy sigh from Dryden, followed with “Howard… Howard… Howard… you know what you’re going to ask and I know what you’re going to ask. You rarely deviate from the story line.” Which was true. On one occasion, I had pursued Dryden (through his Gardens secretary) for a comment on a team matter. I kept getting the runaround on the telephone so I attempted to locate the reluctant president in person on Carlton St., having been tipped about a meeting, that day, in the Hot Stove Lounge. Suffice to say it was far from the most–congenial exchange of my years covering the team. Dryden stepped into the west lobby of the arena and halted in his tracks when he saw me. He considered my attempt an ambush and insurgence. Which was difficult to argue. “Ken, I’ve tried numerous times to arrange this through proper channels,” I told him. “I need to speak with you for our radio listeners.” To which he harshly replied “no, Howard, you need it for yourself, not the listeners.” Whatever his opinion, my scheme failed and I left without any comments on tape from Dryden, though the story, itself, became a fairly hot radio topic late in the afternoon.

On another occasion, Ken made the media rounds and stopped at our old studios on Holly St., near Yonge and Eglinton in midtown Toronto. Roughly a dozen employees gathered around a large boardroom table to learn about Dryden’s aversion to local hockey reporters. One of my colleagues, who would later become sports director, brought a copy of Dryden’s outstanding book, THE GAME, to be autographed. Once I saw that, I realized the credibility of the meeting was compromised, so I sat quietly throughout, in spite of widening eyes and subtle hand gestures from my boss, Nelson Millman, to get involved and speak up. Toward the end, I addressed Dryden and the group by saying “Ken, I do my very best for my employer and our radio audience in a tough, competitive hockey environment. When the team is lousy, I say so. But, I give you my word: If the Maple Leafs improve under your watch, I will not withhold a smidgen of credit.” Honestly, I couldn’t figure if the statement had assuaged the Hall–of–Fame goalie, for he responded stoically. But, we actually got along quite well after that day.

And, the team did improve — by leaps and bounds — but not until Dryden unwittingly put Mike Murphy through the ringer during the summer of 1998. This was his weakness as a hockey executive; we often used the word “dithering” to describe his sluggish approach to key decisions. When he finally (and mercifully) jettisoned the classy, patient coach and moved forward with Pat Quinn — two weeks prior to signing goalie Curtis Joseph as a free agent from Edmonton — the Maple Leafs took off. With virtually the same playing roster as the previous year, but with the boldness and assurance Cujo provided that Potvin no–longer could, the club improved by 28 points in 1998–99; comfortably made the playoffs, then defeated Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to reach the Eastern Conference final for the first time in five springs. Even a quick and frightful elimination by Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t usurp Dryden’s satisfaction. And, as promised, credit abounded from yours truly.

A PRIME EXAMPLE OF DRYDEN’S SLOW AND DELIBERATE APPROACH TO EVEN OBVIOUS DECISIONS OCCURRED THROUGHOUT HIS FIRST TRAINING CAMP WITH THE MAPLE LEAFS. FLETCHER HAD DEALT GILMOUR, THE FORMER CAPTAIN, TO NEW JERSEY AT THE TRADE DEADLINE IN MARCH 1997. EVERY HOCKEY OBSERVER IN TOWN KNEW THERE WAS ONLY ONE CANDIDATE TO REPLACE GILMOUR, YET AN ODYSSEY ENSUED DURING ALL OF TRAINING CAMP WITH DAILY QUESTIONS ON THE SUBJECT BEING DISMISSED BY THE NEW PRESIDENT. FINALLY, AND INEVITABLY, MATS SUNDIN GOT THE NOD (ABOVE) ON THE LAST DAY OF SEPTEMBER, DURING THE PRE–SEASON SCHEDULE.

Despite overseeing the first Leaf teams (in 1999–2000 and 2001–02) to accrue 100 points, Dryden remained in bitter conflict with his hand–picked GM, Mike Smith, who never coexisted amicably with those above him during his career in the NHL (a public feud with the late John Ferguson led to Smith’s departure from the original Winnipeg Jets; Fergie was the boss, Smith the insubordinate second). It required only the span of one season for Smith and Dryden to fall out. After a rancorous confrontation that included the full board of the hockey club, Smith was gone and Dryden had no choice but to appoint Quinn to the dual role of GM and coach (Quinn insisted it was out of self–preservation, as he did not trust Dryden to properly manage the club). Even that evolved efficiently as the big Irishman led the Leafs back to the Stanley Cup semifinals in 2002; a spate of injury (Sundin, Darcy Tucker) preventing the club from what I maintain was its best chance to win the Stanley Cup. Ultimately, Carolina eliminated the Leafs in Game 6 at Air Canada Centre; then lost to Scotty Bowman, Dominik Hasek, Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull, Nick Lidstrom and the Detroit Red Wings, who won the Cup for the third time in six years.

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What I remember most about my time around Dryden was a private meeting in his office at Maple Leaf Gardens after the bounce–back 1998–99 campaign. I was compiling material for a book about the Leafs of that season (entitled ON THE ROAD AGAIN; still available in remainder bins on Amazon) and wanted to feature Dryden in a chapter. Despite our less–than–friendly exchanges during that season, Ken graciously invited me to his office and instructed his secretary to “hold all calls, unless an emergency.” With only the two of us in the room, Dryden let down his public embodiment and pored out his heart for nearly 90 minutes. Tears welled up in his eyes when he described the hurt of being portrayed (at times) as a dithering dolt. I sat in front of him, mostly speechless, as a tape machine recorded emotional distress that none of us could have imagined. At one point, he gathered himself; pointed to my machine and said “Howard, I hope you’re not going to use this [in the book].” To which I replied “Ken, why else would I consume your time? You know, full well, the purpose of this interview; I made myself clear when requesting the sit–down. Please trust me with the final product. I’m not here to diminish you in any way.”

The iconic Canadian shook his head affirmatively and softly said “okay.”

Once Dryden and the Leafs (in 2003) parted company, I lost contact with him. While on a road trip to Tampa in February 2009, I called Ken from my hotel to reminisce about the immaculate closing night, ten years earlier, of Maple Leaf Gardens — the Leafs were beaten, 6–2, by Chicago on Feb. 13, 1999; the game followed by a memorable ceremony in which all living alumni were introduced to the sell–out crowd. I then wrote a feature story for the National Post. In his years running the Maple Leafs, Ken handled a pair of occasions with the nobility and elegance for which he’ll be largely remembered: that final season at the Gardens and transition to the Air Canada Centre (which he dubbed Memories and Dreams). And, more pointedly, the fallout from the horrific pedophile scandal at the Gardens that became public early in his tenure with the club. While Stavro and his cronies ducked and dove for cover, Dryden came forth, on his own, and addressed the issue with remarkable poise and compassion. More than anything in his time with the Leafs, Ken’s stewardship of that emotionally charged matter should be vividly recalled. He was a true champion for the young boys that were victimized over many years by the hidden monsters of Maple Leaf Gardens; including the family of Martin Kruze, an employee whose life ended when he leapt from the Bloor St. viaduct in downtown Toronto. That’s the Ken Dryden I remember most fondly.

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I last saw Ken late in my radio career while arriving at Trudeau Airport in Montreal for a Leafs road game. He was about to board the return flight to Toronto, where he was raised. As long as I live, I’ll not forget the warm smile and handshake with which he greeted me. Whatever turmoil had existed between us was long in the past and we engaged in a brief but wonderful conversation. I’ll go the rest of the way in my life remembering the privilege of knowing one of the truly great figures in modern Canadian history. Rest comfortably, Ken. You’ve earned it.

EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM