Wednesday Questions

What was the “first rule” of backyard hockey? How do you think this shaped Ken as a person and hockey player? (64)

How do the sticks and playing schedule at the backyard rink show the prevalence of hockey in Dryden’s life? (66-67)

Based on what you have read so far, what will Dryden turn to after hockey to “smooth away the changes?” Give 2 reasons why you think this (70)

Dryden’s description of hockey fans, and how it affects his friend, hits the mark perfectly. What is one other thing, besides sports, that you have felt that way about? Why was that so important to you? (74-75)

Dryden tells us about part of the team’s motivation in 1971. Based on what we have read so far, what is the teams, and Dryden’s, motivation for winning the Cup that year? (80)

Why do you think that the team was so miffed at the Zamboni still being on the ice when they came out of the locker room? (82)

What does the cab ride between Bower and Dryden show us about player relations in the NHL? (83)

How does Dryden recapture the feeling of playing on a backyard rink for fun like he used to in his childhood? (84)

How does Dryden know everything about his teammates, but nothing at the same time? (85-86)

Why does Bowman change up each player’s roommates at different times of the year? (88)

Dryden gives some details as to why he will be retiring at the end of the season. How many can you find and break down? (90-92)

“…it is as if they understand what only we can sense—that whoever wins their private contest will win the game.” Dryden uses this to describe two players, but how might this relate to his own state of mind for his last season? (95)

Why might Gainey be the team’s savior if they start to fall out of Stanley Cup contention? (98)

Why does the game against the Maple Leafs leave Dryden feeling “duped”? Is it one more reason to not play, or does it give him hope for someone good mentally to play against and a worthy adversary? (103)

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup was brought into hockey by a man named Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley. Purchased in 1892, Sir Stanley bought the trophy (for $50 at the time) so that it could be presented to "the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada." While it was first presented to a team in 1893, the trophy gained notoriety when the NHL purchased the Cup in 1910. Since 1926, only NHL teams have competed for the trophy that epitomizes dominance in the hockey world.

The most dominant team historically is the Montreal Canadiens, winning a record 23 Stanley Cups. The second place team, the Toronto Maple Leafs,  is a rather distant second coming in with only 13. The Canadiens also hold the record for most consecutive times winning a Stanley Cup at five between 1956-1960. The Canadiens have also won it four times in a row, such as from 1975-76 to 1978-79 with author and goaltender Ken Dryden.

When the trophy first came into the NHL, it was just the the cupped portion and a ring underneath of it. As the NHL expanded and teams grew, more rings were needed to have space to engrave the names of everyone who played on that championship team. Slowly but surely, rings were added on, tiered at first, but then evened out in 1947. Due to the amount of champions, new rings are often put on and old one's retired. The Cup and the retired bands can be seen at Lord Stanley's Vault in the Esso Great Hall in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Ontario, Canada.

Even though it weighs about 35 pounds, most players don't know it. Many have never touched the Cup thinking it's bad luck and that they should wait until they win it. A quote said by Bill Clement, Stanley Cup champion with the Philadelphia Flyers back in 1973-74 and 1974-75 has said, "The Cup actually weighs about 35 pounds, but when you hold it, it weighs about as much as a feather."

Each member of the team gets 24 hours with the Cup, a tradition found in no other sport. Due to that tradition and the vast landscapes where NHL players originate from, the Cup has been all around the world, going from the US and Canada to Sweden, Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic, and more.

Tuesday Questions

How does Dryden act with his family? What might be the reason behind that sort of interaction? (22)

What do the attendance numbers at the PQ’s victory rally and the Canadiens game suggest about the mindset in Montreal? (24)

What are some of the biggest differences for Dryden and his wife when they first come to Montreal? (26-27)

Why does Dryden feel “no pressure to leave” Montreal, even with the culture shock that he is going through? (28)

How does the team deal with the two languages of Montreal inside and outside of the locker room? (29-30)

What does the group of children that hang around the Forum symbolize about life in Montreal? How do they help Dryden, in terms of his career? (33-34)

What is the team’s opinion of the governmental changes in Montreal? What does this say about the team’s mindset for its play? (36)

Who is responsible for pulling most of the pranks on the team and what effect does it have on the other Canadiens? (39)

Dryden describes the childhood life of a kid from Verdun, the town where his coach was born. What can be said about their active lifestyles and how does it affect Scotty Bowman, his coach, as an adult? (42)

How does Bowman’s career choice and Dryden’s career choice parallel and differ from each other’s? (43)

How do the players that play under Bowman usually feel about his coaching style? (43)

How many extra players do the Canadiens carry on their roster and what does it say about Bowman’s approach to different games? (48-49)

Why does Dryden think that Bowman “understands” him as a goalie and a person? (50)

How does Dryden’s initial reaction to the Soviet’s game style say about his mindset for this year and how could they be related? (51)

Dryden goes into great depth about his preparation for his first game against the Soviets. What could his preparation and reaction to the tie say about his mental capabilities? (51-52)

How does the team feel when Bowman changes the practice time? (53)

What do you think of the competition between “Bunny” and Dryden? What are Dryden’s sentiments about it? (56)

What does the locker room scene on page 58 tell us about the team’s resilience and ability to follow routines? (58)

How do you think “Bunny” feels when Dryden tells him that he’s going to retire at the end of the season? (58)

Monday Questions

What do you think Dryden’s state of mind is when he first wakes up? (3-4)

As Dryden looks over the state of his team, what does his analysis reveal about his teams and his own mindset as it pertains to the season? Choose one quote that exemplifies this. (6-7)

The cutting of Dryden’s skate laces shows what about the atmosphere in the locker room? (11)

What do you think of the way the Canadiens handle the practice before their big game? (12)

Ken’s in depth look at himself shows what he thinks of himself at this stage of his career. How do you think this will affect him throughout the novel, both on and off the ice? (16-17)

“If I had retired a year ago, I would have left with doubts. I have none now.” What doubts do you think Dryden wanted absolved by playing in this last year? (18)

Why does Dryden make such a point to say that he would want to play on his own time and not the team’s when he discusses Courtois’ offer? (19)

Background Bio

Ken Dryden is regarded as one of the best goalies to ever to play the game of hockey, and he put himself in the discussion as a rookie. On a team as good as the Montreal Canadiens were in the early 1970’s, rookies saw the press box, being healthy scratched for games, about as much as the ice, if not more. When Dryden got his call-up from Montreal’s farm team, however, he made an immediate impact and was not taken off of the ice. When the playoffs rolled around, the Canadiens shocked the hockey world when they started the inexperienced Dryden, with only six NHL games under his belt, over seasoned veteran Rogatien Vachon in the first round against the Boston Bruins.

Dryden’s impressive feats did not stop there. After helping the Canadiens win a Stanley Cup that year with unprecedented stats for a rookie goaltender, Dryden received the Conn Smythe Trophy for Playoff MVP. The next year Dryden continued his impressive play and captured another Stanley Cup, along with the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s best rookie (Dryden was the first goalie to ever win the Conn Smythe before the Calder), and the George Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league’s best goaltender. Dryden would finish his eight year career with a Calder Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy, five Vezina Trophies, six Stanley Cups, and six All-Star team appearances. Dryden was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

With a pedigree so impressive, it should not be a surprise that Dryden would also write arguably the greatest hockey book ever written.  The Game offers an inside look to the 1978-79 Montreal Canadiens team that was at the tail-end of its dynastic four straight Stanley Cups. He takes you into the locker room, full of legends such as Serge Savard, Scotty Bowman, and Guy LaFleur. He takes you on some of their many road trips as they visited and played against Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, and more. He offers you the ability to step inside his own mind, possibly tormented by the effects of years of undiagnosed depression. He allows you to step inside the belly of the beast of one of the greatest teams to ever step out on to an NHL ice surface. The Game is a recount of the losses, wins, ups, and downs of that season, the last consecutive Stanley Cup for Dryden and his team, through the eyes of arguably the greatest goalie to put on the pads.