NHL goaltenders owe a debt of gratitude to Jacques Plante for inventing a goalie mask.
The Evolution of NHL Goalie Masks: From Jacques Plante to Modern Birdcage Style
Jacques Plante is widely known as the first professional hockey player to wear a mask in an NHL game, when on November 1, 1959, his nose was broken by a shot from New York Rangers star Andy Bathgate, just three minutes into the game. Plante left the ice to the dressing room for stitches; when he returned to the ice, he was wearing a simple mask that he had previously been wearing in practice since 1956.
Toe Blake was livid that Plante had refused to go back onto the ice without a mask, but Blake had no choice in the matter as he didn’t have a backup goalie for Plante. Montreal would go on to win the game 3-1 against the Rangers and would compile an eighteen-game unbeaten streak with Plante wearing his mask; Montreals’ winning streak didn’t come to an end until Plante removed his face-covering one last time in a 3-0 loss to Detroit on March 8, 1960.
Jacques Plante was Pro hockeys’ first innovator to design his and others’ goaltending face shields. Still, it is an esoteric fact that before Plante, Clint Benedict of the Montreal Maroons donned a crude leather rendition in 1930 to protect a broken nose.
To further illustrate the importance of a face mask, consider the case of Curt Ridley. While playing for the Providence Reds in the American Hockey League, Ridley took a shot off of his head, which sheared off a piece of his ear. The trainers brought Ridley to the dressing room, where the attending physician reattached the severed ear portion while his students watched. Curt Ridley played for three NHL teams; New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, and Toronto Maple Leafs ending his NHL career in 1981. Curt Ridley is probably best remembered not for playing but for having one of the most iconic masks of the nineteen seventies.
My favorite mask was the one worn by Gary Bromley. Gary played NHL hockey for the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks, ending his career in 1981. Gary’s nickname was “Bones” due to his slight frame. I have to wonder if his nickname helped to inspire his ghastly mask.
On April 7, 1974, in a 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Flames, Andy Brown of the Pittsburgh Penguins was the last professional NHL goalie to play without a mask. Brown played for the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, retiring from professional hockey in 1977 while playing with the (WHA) Western Hockey Leagues Indianapolis Racers. Brown’s nickname was “Fearless” as he continued to play without a mask while playing out his WHA career.
How Goalie Masks Are Made
Jacques Plantes’ mask was constructed of fiberglass cloth and polyester resin; it was a primitive mask that offered minimal protection. Today’s goalie facemasks have come a long way in style and personal safety. Later improvisations in mask design were to follow; Detroit Red Wings trainer Lefty Wilson tinkered with mask technology by incorporating a lighter version with a slit mouth design and larger eye openings to increase ventilation. Famed mask maker Ernie Higgins left his job as a plumbing superintendent at 54 to pursue his passion of making goalie masks.
Higgins would make a mold of the netminders’ face. The goalie would wear a woman’s stocking over his face, with a small hole cut out for the mouth opening for breathing. Higgins then applied vaseline and plaster over the covered front. As the application hardened, the goalie breathed through a straw.
The Higgins mask style was quite popular during the 1970s. Higgins made goaltender masks for Boston Bruins goaltenders Gerry Cheevers and Ed Johnston.
Greg Harrison created some of hockeys’ most iconic goalie masks ever made. He has made masks for Bob Essensa, Denis Herron, Felix Potvin, and Team Canada (1977).
Some Of hockeys’ Most Iconic Goalie Face Shields of All-Time. The Evolution of NHL Goalie Masks: From Jacques Plante to Modern Birdcage Style
Birdcage Style
Today’s modern Goalie face shields have been entirely replaced with the birdcage style. Goalie face coverings have become an art form and an expression as much as they were intended to be for protection. What was once considered cowardice to wear one by previous generations’ macho culture has long since become unthinkable to step on the ice without one. When Jacques Plante was asked why he wanted to wear a face mask on the ice, he replied, “Would you jump out of an airplane without a parachute?”.
The Evolution of NHL Goalie Masks: From Jacques Plante to Modern Birdcage Style
Larry Kwong (First Player To Break The NHL Color Barrier) (tedtalkshockey.com)
Keep Your Mask On The Ice.
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