Walt McKechnie was flicking through a Saturday morning edition of the Toronto Star recently when he saw a familiar face grimacing back at him. It was his own, in a photo taken more than 40 years ago at the height of the Dysart et al deputy mayor’s National Hockey League career.
The Sept. 7 edition of the newspaper featured a commemorative story about Ken Dryden, the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and two-term Member of Parliament, who passed away Sept. 5.
One of the photos used to accompany the piece depicts a then-31-year-old McKechnie going head-to-head with Dryden, sprawled on the floor and reaching for the puck, which appeared to be on tip of the Leafs forward’s stick.
“I had that picture up on the wall at McKeck’s for years when I owned the place,” McKechnie told The Highlander during a recent interview. “What a great player, goaltender and human being he was.”
For years, McKechnie told his patrons that he’d scored on the play – one of many times he bested Dryden, who won six Stanley Cups in nine seasons playing for the Canadiens between 1971 and 1979.
That was until, one day, one of his regulars arrived for his usual nightcap armed with an important piece of information – the game that photo was taken in, Game 4 of the Stanley Cup semi-finals, played May 9, 1978, ended 2-0 Montreal.
“I just smiled and said, ‘you son of a gun’,” McKechnie said. “Of course, I knew I hadn’t scored. But looking at the picture, with Ken down and the puck right there, most people assumed I’d knocked it in. But he was something else, the way he could move and the saves he could make, he was second to none.”
Dryden retired in 1979, aged 30, and while he doesn’t have the longevity of other NHL all-time great goaltenders, McKechnie still considers the Hamilton native one of the best to ever do it.
“I played against him all through that 70s dynasty – he was so great on that team. He was the wall they needed for that type of an offensive team, the foundation to all those cup wins,” McKechnie said. “There are a lot of greats – Johnny Bower, Jacques Plante, Terry Sawchuk, Turk Broda, Jerry Cheevers, but Ken would be very near the top of the list because of all the Stanley Cups he won.”
Asked what made Dryden so special, McKechnie said it was his poise and demeanour, which he said never changed.
“He was so calm – some goalies are fidgety, bouncing around and constantly have their head on a swivel. But Ken would just stare you down. He was a big, tall man and there was a bit of an intimidation factor there because he’d make saves that you just didn’t think were possible,” McKechnie said.
Despite his mountainous appearance, McKechnie said Dryden was always a gentleman – both on the ice and off it. While he didn’t know him well, he’d routinely bump into him at charity functions, noting people were naturally drawn to him.
“I had a lot of respect for him, and I was so honoured the Star chose to use that picture. I don’t know why they picked it, because there sure would have been a heck of a lot to choose from,” McKechnie said.
