1/11 Ken Dryden made his pro hockey debut 50 years ago tonight, his AHL Montreal Voyageurs 5-3 Forum losers to Baltimore Clippers. Dryden went 16-7-8 for Vees in 1970-71 before call-up to parent @CanadiensMTL, his Conn Smythe Trophy heroics leading Habs to '71 Stanley Cup win. …

2/11 After anchoring @CanadiensMTL’s 1971 Stanley Cup win, goalie/law student Ken Dryden went to Washington to work on a water pollution project for consumer advocate Ralph Nader, part of “Nader’s Raiders.” Here, Ken and his wife Lynda in front of the White House. …

3/11 Fast-forward to this Oct. 16 in 1977: Ken Dryden earns his 37th of 46 career NHL shutouts, making 22 saves in a 2-0 road win at #NHLBruins. @19LarryRobinson (photo) scored Montreal’s game-winning goal and assisted on Steve Shutt’s insurance marker. ...

4/11 I quizzed Ken this morning for memories of his first pro game, played 50 years ago this Oct. 16. (Let history note that his first pro goal allowed was to Baltimore’s Fred Speck, 43 seconds into first period.) Of course, Ken replied with rich memories of something else. …

5/11 Ken Dryden: “It was in Halifax at the Forum vs Chicago. After a few days at the main camp, the Canadiens divided the players into two groups: the big team, and the rest – those who would be playing for the Voyageurs, Muskegon, or somewhere else. I was part of 'the rest.' …

6/11 Ken Dryden: “But the Canadiens, having missed the playoffs the year before and starting out not well in the 1st exhibition games, sent me to Halifax to play against Chicago. All I could think of was Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita. I thought I’d get killed. I think we won 3-1.” ...

7/11 Ken’s memory of this game a half-century ago is tremendous. In fact, the Canadiens won 4-1. From @NHLStats, @StuartMcComish dug this out of Montreal Gazette archives, Ken having played in Halifax on Sept. 22, 1970, making 24 saves, Hull and Mikita blanked. …

8/11 As for his debut pro league game for AHL Montreal, Ken has no recall whatsoever: “My arrangement with the Canadiens was that I was a full-time law student and part-time player with the Voyageurs, practicing and playing when I could. …

9/11 Ken Dryden con’t.: “And I guess this third game of the Voyageurs season was my first game. All I do remember was that we had a really hard time with Baltimore that year, in all the games we played them. …

10/11 Ken Dryden con’t.: “In Baltimore, the Clippers had a song they would play whenever they came onto the ice – for warm-up, the start of each period – but also after EVERY goal they scored." ...

11/11 The AHL Baltimore Clippers "fight song," as Ken Dryden grimly remembers it, unsure of a few words that he's left blank here.

"And I heard that song a lot."