Chicago fans will forever remember Ken Dryden as the young Montreal Canadiens goalie whose stellar play broke the hearts of Blackhawks fans in the 1971 Stanley Cup Final. Dryden went on to have a Hall of Fame career. Now Dryden has emerged as an important critic of hockey, arguing that safety measures need to be put into place to reduce head injuries.
In his important new book, "Game Change," Dryden bases his case on the story of journeyman player Steve Montador. He played defense for several teams, eventually finishing his NHL career with the Blackhawks in 2011-12. After Montador died in 2015 at age 35 of a drug overdose, it was found he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative brain disorder linked to repeated concussions. Dryden says he chose Montador as his subject because he was just "an everyday player."
Dryden maintains the increased speed of the game has produced higher-impact collisions, resulting in more devastating blows to the head. Dryden writes: "Brain injuries in hockey are a problem. Indisputably. But in hockey, unlike football, there are answers – good, doable, real hockey answers." Dryden calls on NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and team executives to come up with solutions that will eliminate hits to the head. He doesn't want to see more Steve Montadors.
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