NHL legend Ken Dryden has died.

The National Hockey League and the hockey world has truly lost one of its icons.

Late on Friday night, new broke that legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden had passed away after a difficult battle with cancer. Dryden, considered by many to be one of the greatest goalies of all time, was one of the most decorated goaltenders of all time with a stunning 6 Stanley Cup championships, 5 Vezina Trophy wins, a Calder Memorial Trophy, and a conn Smythe all to his name.

Dryden initially arrived on the scene in the National Hockey League like a veritable bolt of lightning, stunning absolutely everyone in his very first season in the league. Dryden would appear in only 6 games during the 1970-71 NHL regular season, recording an outstanding 1.65 goals against average and a .975 save percentage, but more importantly he would go on to lead the Canadiens all the way to the Stanley Cup in that very same season. That, as it just so happens, was also the year Dryden was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as the NHL's playoff MVP.

In spite of only playing in just 7 more seasons for the Canadiens, Dryden would add an additional 5 Stanley Cups to his trophy cabinet in his short time with the Canadiens, cementing himself forever as perhaps the very greatest goaltender to have ever lived in the minds of many longtime fans of the Montreal Canadiens.

Dryden was much more than just a hockey player however and was widely revered as a Canadian Icon, having served as a member of parliment from 2004 to 2011 after his playing days were long behind him. Dryden also served as the Minister of Social Development from 2004 to 2006, leaving a lasting impact on his home country.

Dryden lived such a spectacular life in fact that I have no doubt that his incredible legacy will live on long after he is gone.

My most sincere condolences go out to the Dryden family, to all of Ken's friends and loved ones.