Mr. Speaker, my childhood memories, like the childhood memories of hundreds of thousands of Quebecker children, are filled with winter nights on streets where the hard snow had made a perfect surface for us to play hockey. Sometimes three-on-three, sometimes four-on-four, one goalie, and two or three players on offence. There was no one on defence when we played in the street.
At that time, it did not cost an arm and a leg to play hockey. There was no need to rent a skating rink and no need for expensive equipment. It was enough to have a pompom toque, mittens, a wooden stick that was not even curved, and a head full of dreams. “Guy Lafleur picks up the puck. He is alone; he shoots—He scores!” That is what all the young boys would shout on the street—that, and the familiar and endless calls of “Car!” The goal would be shoved to the side of the road. They would wait for the car to pass, put the goal back in place and carry on. Then we heard, “Guy Lafleur takes the puck back; he is in the zone, and—Save by Ken Dryden! Ken Dryden with a spectacular save.” Every kid scoring goals on the streets of Quebec, they were all Guy Lafleurs. Every kid making saves in every neighbourhood, all the goalies, they were Ken Drydens. From Chibougamau to Venise‑en‑Québec, from Shawinigan to Drummondville, “Save by Ken Dryden!” He was the best goalie in the world. We were too when we stopped a frozen tennis ball while playing smack in the middle of the road on a January night.
He was the one who earned some of our Stanley Cups, who made the Canadiens unbeatable. Is there any more beautiful tribute to someone than to say that he was the one with whom thousands and thousands of children identify? Everyone wants to be Montreal Canadiens number 29. For anyone who loved hockey, Guy Lafleur and Ken Dryden were the ones who thrilled Quebec the most. For at least two generations of Quebeckers, Ken Dryden was the embodiment of our youth. He, like others before him and others after him, explains our passion for hockey and the importance of the Montreal Canadiens to our identity.
We offer our deepest condolences to his family, and on behalf of all fans of our national sport, we express our gratitude for the achievements he earned for us.
I would be remiss if I did not mention his public service. Elected in 2004, when the Bloc Québécois had 52 members elected, Mr. Dryden served briefly as a minister under Paul Martin before ending up on the opposition benches until 2011. He was an affable, intelligent man. He was liked by everyone, which is no small feat in today's political climate. His fight to protect young athletes from the scourge of concussions is admirable, and we have a collective responsibility to carry on his legacy.
For his work in the House, for his commitment to protecting our young athletes, for the Stanley Cups he delivered to Canadiens fans and on behalf of all young people standing in goal on a winter's night in the 1970s, allow me, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, to simply say thank you, Mr. Dryden.