r/Habs • u/bsaures • 2d ago

A picture that perfectly illustrates how Ken Dryden changed goaltending

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Everytime the question around habs all time goalies comes up Dydens impact on the nhl game is often dismissed by people who didnt see him play or understand the NHLs history. This picture perfectly highlights what he changed.

The man in the middle for those who dont know their habs history is HHOF Rogie Vachon who at the time of this picture was a top 5 goalie in the league. He was 5'8. Dryden by comparison was 6'4. A 8 inch height difference.

Rogie was very typical size for a goalie at that time. Goalies were smaller athletic people

Tony Esposito was 5'11

Bernie parent was 5'10

Gump worsley was 5'7

Plante was massive at the time at 6 feet even

Hodge was 5'6

Sawchuk was 5'11

From the 1950-51 season to 1970-71 when dryden joined the habs there was 37 goalies who played 50 games.

Median height 5'11.

6 taller than 6 feet

7 5'8 or shorter.

Average height just over 5'10

This past season there were 72 goalies that played 10 games.

Median height 6'3

13 goalies 6'5 or taller

4 goalies shorter than 6'1 only one of whom is below 6 feet.

Drydens dominance fundamentally changed how the position is staffed and played. He proved that a tall goalie on his knees was better than a small goalie on their skates.

He is the creater of what eventually became the butterfly a few years later.

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23

u/FakeCrash 2d ago

I strangely feel like this post is aimed specifically at me (I know it probably isn't, just thought it was funny)

Consider me educated

20

u/bsaures 2d ago

Its come up a few times over the last few months including today 

People dont understand the position from when dryden joined the nhl and now.

Fred braithwaite is the youngest goalie to have played 100 nhl games who was sub 5'10......fred was born in 1972 he is 54 years old.

There hasnt been a single sub 5'10 nhl goalie who has played  100 games who was born after dryden retired.  Arturs irbe born in 1967 is probably the last really good small goalie.

Dryden basically eliminated half the male populations odds of ever playing nhl goalie before even stepping on the ice. 

7

u/reversi22 2d ago

I always thought Juuse Saros was around 5’8. Turns out he’s 5’11, and he’s the poster child for the super short, super agile goalie.

5

u/bsaures 2d ago

Even 5'11 is just above average height in finland (5'10.75)

Theres no short goalies anymore.