Hockey isn't a complicated sport—there's twelve guys skating around a rink, whacking away at a piece of rubber, and sometimes it goes in the net.
Families, on the other hand?
The 1970s were a tumultuous time to be growing up in Montreal, with the rise of the Quebec independence movement, the coming to power of the Parti Qu b cois, many Montrealers migrating to Toronto, the 1976 Olympics. Disco, free love, and counter-culture revolutions combined with more women entering the workforce and easier access to divorce. Oren Safdie saw his parents break up and get back together again before parting ways for good, but Ken Dryden and the Montreal Canadiens remained steadfast in his life, lifting his and everyone else's spirits by winning six Stanley Cups in nine years.
A family falling apart. A team holding the city together. Beyond Ken Dryden reflects Safdie's childhood admiration for Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden and the Montreal Canadiens, set against a backdrop of personal upheaval, including a devastating house fire in Westmount and his parents' eventual divorce. For Safdie, the Canadiens were not just athletes but symbols of stability and comfort during turbulent times—a surrogate family of sorts.
