By Ken Dryden
�This is all what we have been waiting for. I walk out the door. Inside, I feel a smile.� � Ken Dryden, The Game
The Game is a true story of knowing when to give up what you love and learning to make difficult life choices. Written by Ken Dryden in 1983, it details his National Hockey League Career as a goaltender with the Montreal Canadians. The story revolves around the different aspects of the hockey season, specifically the grueling schedule, the different personalities of players, and what it takes to have a career in the NHL. Dryden uses this book to chronicle his career and explain his decision to retire at an early age.
From the start of the story, Dryden has been mulling over a decision to take a job with the Montreal Canadian team lawyers. He had previously earned a law degree. Taking this job would mean an end to a short but illustrious career as a goaltender. Dryden only played hockey with the Canadians for seven seasons. He was instrumental in winning six Stanley Cups in his career. His attitude, sense of hockey and great techniques made him one of the most spectacular hockey goaltenders of all time. He won many awards during his career including the Conn Smythe trophy and the Calder trophy.
Working on a team brings closeness among teammates. Dryden chronicles team life and the players he was closest too. Guy LaFleur is seen in the book as the leader of the team, doling out advice and keeping everyone together. Traveling as a group also promotes closeness. There is tight knit feeling among the players. Dryden brings the reader into the locker room and brings these past players to life in the readers mind.
For Dryden, playing hockey was not about money. It was about the sport. He was able to continue to keep playing on his own terms. He worried about being an embarrassment to himself and his team on the ice. When he meets a newcomer goaltender, Michel Larocque, that he is himself impressed with, he finds himself in a battle to see who will start in more games. This was the first time in his career that he played in less than 60 games. This must have come as a sign to him that his skills were on the decline and the team was grooming Larocque to become the next goaltender for the team.
Another important point that Dryden brings up in his book is that by being in the NHL, he loses important time with his family and children. He comes home late at night and the kids are getting ready for school when he is up in the morning. He has difficulty remembering what day of the week it is thanks to a non-stop schedule that has him traveling with the team all over North America. This feeling of loss is one of the main reasons why he decides to go fourth with his retirement.
When the end of the season comes for Dryden, the loss to the Islanders is a great one. This causes further reflection on his career. He feels disappointed about the game but has no regrets. He leaves the sport to go onto a new career and to experience life with his family.
This book is written for the diehard hockey fan. It also appeals to others because of its sense of honesty. Dryden shows the reader how difficult decisions can be to make and at the same time how important it is to feel fulfilled in your life and career. Fans idolize the professional players, never realizing how difficult their lives can be. The most important lesson in this book is to do the best you can and feel good about it.