Ken Dryden

Ken Dryden made his NHL debut in mid-season 1971 for the Canadiens, and became the backbone of six Stanley Cup winning teams in the 1970s. During that first playoff season, Dryden won the Conn Smythe Trophy, 1971, as the playoffs' most valuable player. The following year Dryden won the Calder Trophy, 1972, as the Rookie of the year because the previous year he did not play enough regular season games to be eligible. He remains the only NHL player to ever win the Conn Smythe Trophy before winning the rookie of the year award. Dryden was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. His jersey number, 29, was retired by the Montreal Canadiens on January 29, 2007.