Beyond Ken Dryden: A Memoir by Oren Safdie
Reviewed by Lisa Timpf
In Beyond Ken Dryden: A Memoir, Oren Safdie takes us back his childhood in the 1970s, when the Montreal Canadiens, backstopped by the stellar goaltending of Ken Dryden, won six Stanley Cups in a nine-year period. Safdie gives us a young fan’s perspective on life in Montreal, and the importance of the Canadiens franchise.
But as the “beyond” in the title suggests, this book is more than a memoir about hockey. Beyond Ken Dryden also delves into Safdie’s family relationships and the hardships they endured, including losing their house in a fire. Safdie intersperses chapters about the Canadiens with chapters about his life. He takes us with him as he matures and develops a more profound understanding of what is going on in his parents’ relationship as they break up, reconcile, and then split up again.
Through tumultuous times, the Canadiens provided a touchstone for Safdie. Ken Dryden, with his humble but commanding presence in the net, and the way he was very much his own man, was a particular focus.
“Like Safdie, I spent many evenings listening to Montreal Canadiens games on my transistor radio when my parents might have assumed I was already asleep.”
Though Safdie grew up in Montreal and I lived in Ontario, there were elements of his love story with the Canadiens that resonated with me. Like Safdie, I spent many evenings listening to Montreal Canadiens games on my transistor radio when my parents might have assumed I was already asleep. I also identified with Safdie’s comments about long-time Montreal Canadiens’ play-by-play man Danny Gallivan’s unique style of calling games.
Safdie tells the story deftly, using foreshadowing and creating a sense of mystery. The reader gains a deeper understanding as the story proceeds, which makes for a satisfying read. Safdie also weaves in small details that ground the reader. For example, he describes what he liked about the hockey cards of his childhood, citing snippets of background information about the players. He also uses dialogue occasionally to keep the story moving. Perhaps the use of dialogue should come as no surprise. Beyond Ken Dryden was produced as a play, in Montreal in 2024 and Toronto in 2025.
At just over 100 pages, Beyond Ken Dryden is relatively short, but the brevity and the tight focus are part of the appeal. The smooth writing, the humour, and the honest, vulnerable manner in which the story is told pulled me through the book. Readers who were fans of the Montreal Canadiens of the 1970s, who are keen to know more about what it was like to live in Montreal at the time, or who enjoy personal memoirs should find a lot to like in Beyond Ken Dryden.
About the Author
Oren Safdie was born in Montreal where he attended St George’s School and Marianopolis College. Following graduate studies in Architecture and Creative Writing at Columbia University, Oren has worked as a playwright, screenwriter, and professor of Dramatic Writing & Literature. Five of his plays were New York Times Critic’s Picks. Beyond Ken Dryden, which is his first book, was produced as a play in Montreal in 2024 and Toronto in 2025. Safdie divides his time between LA and Montreal.
About the Reviewer
Ontario resident Lisa Timpf writes poetry, book reviews, short stories, and creative nonfiction. Her speculative poetry collections Cats and Dogs in Space (2025) and In Days to Come (2022) are available from Hiraeth Publishing in print and electronic formats. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing projects at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/. Lisa is also on Bluesky, @lisatimpf.bsky.social, and her author Facebook page is @lisa.timpf.author.
Book Details
Publisher: Linda Leith Publishing
Publication date: May 1 2026
Language: English
Print length: 104 pages
ISBN-10: 1773901923
ISBN-13: 978-1773901923