More than the goalkeeper

That is how - Ken Dradyden was much more than just a hockey goalkeeper. Historian, teacher, television commentator, politician, writer

Of course, this is exactly how - Ken Dradyden was more, much more than just the legendary hockey goalkeeper. Historian, teacher, television commentator, hockey functionary, politician, writer, public figure - but even this list is not exhausted by the multifaceted personality of the person who passed away in early September

As the goalkeeper of the outstanding, we did not really have time to evaluate Ken Draden-all because he seemed a weak link in the star national team of Canada in perhaps the main match of the last century, which opened the first super-series of the USSR-Canada, on September 2, 1972 in the Montreal “forum”. It should be emphasized here that the main match has become precisely for us - Canada has long been given to another game, which completed the series in Luzhniki. The first match, the best Canadian goalkeeper openly failed - as, indeed, the whole “invincible” team of the founders of the great game, and the thoughts that did not admit that they can lose at least one meeting.

Who was released by the first number, if not Ken? Everyone was impressed by his amazing debut in the NHL, from which a little more than a year has passed. Then, in the spring of 1971, at the finish of the regular championship, he replaced the cornel in Montreal, on which the career of the two-time owner of the Stanley Cup failed, and the newcomer to the move struck the place of the first number, not losing any of the six meetings and with brilliantly holding the entire victorious playoff. He received the prize for the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup with a championship ring, nevertheless he was nevertheless considered a debutant and Colder Trophy, as the best beginner, earned, already having “Conn Smite” - this was not the case in the history of the NHL either after.

And it is precisely the hope and support of the “maple leaves” of the “section” of the company of incomprehensible Russians in the responsible first match of the super -series of the century. Ken did not understand what Valery Kharlamov would do the same - to give or throw it. Two assists of the genius, in fact, predetermined the outcome of the meeting - the first after the beautiful passage, the second after entering the zone and an unexpected throw from the throw circle for Dradeen, the goalkeeper only managed to wave the trap, while trying to block the flight path, after which the fourth time wasnd the goal from the net. When, under the curtain, Alexander Yakushev, after an elegant pass, Vladimir Shadrin put the goalkeeper on the ice and sent the seventh puck over him, Draden even felt sorry.

Ken felt perhaps the main culprit of the defeat, shocked not only in Canada, but the whole hockey world. Already in Toronto, where the second match was supposed to take place, he tried to forget about what happened as a terrible dream.

He did not know that the Soviet coaches made his play on the bones in advance, they saw weaknesses of the 193-centimeter giant, and hockey players fully took advantage of this.

It is clear that Tony Esposito spent the next two matches, the victory of the hosts and a draw equalized the chances of the parties, and Ken Dradyden reached the ice in the final Canadian part of the Super Series in Vancouver - and lost again, he was already inferior to 0: 2 to his young visual imparts Vladislav Tretyak. When Harry Shinden in the second Moscow game in the account of 1: 3 again entrusted the main post by Ken Dradyden, the Soviet hockey community decided that we would throw as much as much as much.

How many did not work. We did not know that the “giraffe”, as Dradeen was friendly in Canada, was also smart, very smart. He did not sprinkle his head with ashes, he analyzed and drawn conclusions - as, indeed, the entire Canadian team, which was already different in Moscow. She became angry, even too angry, tenacious, tactically rebuilt. No, Dradyden did not become the main character of neither the second, nor the last and decisive Moscow meeting - but he no longer missed optional goals, did not roll out far under a possible throw, controlling other addressees, he already seriously helped out. And he, of course, made his contribution to the two most important victories, at the same time, and equalizing the invoice of full -time meetings with a “friend Vladik”.

... Later, he will call the 1972 super-series the most important event in his career-“This is the most striking and significant experience that I have ever had,” “I can convince myself that the victory in Steanley’s six cups is a more important achievement, but you can’t deceive the feeling.”

The book “Hockey at the highest level” written in co -authorship with journalist Malvoy will be revealed by another obvious talent of Ken Draden - a writer. In the USSR, the book will be released at the Participation of Progress in 1975 and will open up the view of the super-series from the other side for many of us-sincere, in some ways, but this is the diary narrative and was valuable. Of course, the book did not escape censorship, being too “combed”, but still it became in many ways a revelation for the Soviet reader, accustomed to a different kind of narratives about the “bloody world of professional sports”. Here, there was an honest gaze of a man who did not hide his desire, having humbled pride, to learn other approaches to the game, so brightly demonstrated by the Soviet team.

Dradyden one of the first in Canada had a simple and clear thought about the need for mutual fueling for such different hockey schools - and to Canadians, by the way, this thought came faster and more thoroughly than to our domestic specialists, which was the first victory over “vaunted Canadian professionals”.

As for Ken Draden himself, the “Match of the Century” of the first club super-series “Montreal” –Tzsk on New Year's Eve from 1975 to 1976 did not convince that he was really outstanding (he himself wrote that he would like to replay this match). Unable to see him in the NHL case, we judged Kene exclusively by a few games with the national team of the USSR and CSKA, in which he did not look so invulnerable as he could be presented in absentia for rare publications. Maybe the Soviet attackers really were and remained uncomfortable for him, not “declassified” until the end.

For Canada, like all hockey lovers who had the opportunity to really follow his career, the greatness of Draden was not subject to doubt.

The failure of the Canadian part of the Super Series sowed some doubts, but not for long. However, he was ready to finish the next year with hockey.

... For some, this may seem incredible, but Ken Dradyden received two scientific degrees without any concessions, risking directly hockey career. Boston captivated him back in 1964, but having learned that the talented goalkeeper was going to devote the next five years to his studies at the University of Cornell, they did not want to wait so long and exchanged the young man without his knowledge in Montreal. They were ready to tolerate there.

Ken continued to play hockey and study, even playing the Canadian team at the World Cup in Stockholm 1969. Lavrov Ta Canada did not won, which expressed the ancestors to raise the question with an edge: either the International Hockey Federation allows professionals to tournaments under its auspices, or “maple” clap the door. The fundamental dispute was not resolved in favor of Canada, “dedication” lasted seven years, which were just the first super series, which were extremely important for changing the situation.

Having lost the opportunity to speak at the World Cup - 1970 (by the way, he was supposed to take place in Canada), the newly -minted historian Dradyden finally decided to go to professionals. But at the same time he began to study the right at the University of McGill in the same Montreal. And when, at the end of the first contract, some frictions arose with the leadership about the new agreement, the two -time holder of the Stanley Ken Cup went to a simple clerk to the legal office to complete his studies and receive a full legal education. In the 1973–1974 season, Montreal flew out without Draden in the first round of the Stanley Cup, and the club’s bosses asked the Savior to return, offering a double increase in the salary.

In the NHL, Ken Dradyden was in his element:

The honed technique and the reaction, combined with the dimensions rare for the goalkeepers of that time, the ability to anticipate the moves of the rivals in the attack, gave amazing results.

Bottom line: Four Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979, four more prize "Vesina Trophy" to the best goalkeeper and - departure from hockey in the prime.

He simply explained: "The time comes, and you realize that it is time to do something else in life." At the end of his career in Canada, he unexpectedly expressed a desire to play a little more in the USSR. It was 1979, to take some practical steps in this direction, either by naivety, or madness, but the fact of the matter that he sincerely wanted to get a new experience and convey his own. One can imagine a completely fantastic situation of exchange by agreement at the highest level - to send the Tretyak to Montreal, with which he would agree, and Draden to send to CSKA, an interesting precedent could turn out. True, time was inappropriate even for assumptions of this kind.

In 1980, Dradyden already commented on the matches of the Olympic tournament in Lake Placid, including a “miracle on ice” performed by American students. They introduced into the Hall of Fame in 1983 as soon as this became possible. The career developed in several directions at once, everywhere - successfully.

He taught at the university. He worked in the Ministry of Education. He wrote books that surprised a variety of interests and the depth of penetration not only into hockey problems. I prepared documentaries about the history of hockey. In the late 90s, he headed Toronto Maip Lefs, withdrawing the club from the crisis, not without the help of Russian players. When Draden “left” from Toronto, he went into politics, winning the elections to the House of Commons from the Liberal Party in one of the districts of the native province of Ontario. The government took the post of Minister of Social Development, then ran for the post of leader of the Liberal Party, lost, but remained the deputy until the beginning of the tenths.

Until the last days, and for 78 years he turned less than a month before leaving, remained an active public figure who raised acute social topics and tried to look for answers to them - both in public speeches and in books. At least a dozen publications, the “game” was recognized as the best Canadian book about sports, “becoming Canada” concerned the country's place in the modern world, there are art works, but the main contribution, in my opinion, is still in his understanding of hockey as a “secret part of life” almost every Canadian.

It was a rare type of intellectual, which did not interfere with “too smart” - neither in sports, nor in any other field. Maybe also because Ken Dradyden remained modest and delicate, who did not lose his desire to know the world with age and make him better to make him better.

Dradyden once noted that the development of a special view of the choice of one or another activity was facilitated by his sports role: “The goalkeeper is always in the center of events, and almost always lonely. From the gate, the game looks different, the evaluation of events passes on a different scale. ”

Old Ken snapped deeply, thanks to him for that.