Plante ushers in masked goalie era
Broadcast Date: Feb. 27, 1986
He wasn't the first goalie to wear one, but on Nov. 1, 1959, Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens broke with 70 years of hockey tradition and became the first professional netminder to don a goalie mask as a regular part of his uniform. After a shot from Rangers centre Andy Bathgate opens an inch-long gash from Plante's upper lip into his left nostril, he returns to the ice with seven stitches – and a mask. This retrospective CBC-TV clip looks back at Plante's innovation on the occasion of his death in 1986.Plante ushers in masked goalie era
• Jacques (“Jake the Snake”) Plante began wearing a homemade mask to practices in 1956, after his skull, jaw, nose, and both cheekbones were broken. After he continued to wear it in games, all other goalies soon followed his lead. The last goalie to play without a mask was Andy Brown, in 1973.• Goalie masks are now considered an essential part of hockey, but are not actually mandatory in the NHL. The league's rules regarding goalie masks are: "Protective masks of a design approved by the League may be worn by goalkeepers. Protective masks deemed to be worn only to increase stopping area will be considered illegal."
• Plante was born Jan. 17, 1929, in Mont Carmel, near Shawinigan, Quebec. As a youngster, he loved all sports, but hockey was his favourite, and he always tended goal. He turned professional in 1953.
• Starting his first full season with the Montréal Canadiens (1954-55), Plante helped his team go on to win an incredible five consecutive Stanley Cups. He won the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper of the year as voted by all NHL general managers, five straight times. He played with the Canadiens for 10 consecutive years, helping his team capture the Stanley Cup six times.
• Plante won the Hart Trophy for most valuable player in 1962. In 1963, he was traded to the New York Rangers. He also played with the St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. Plante was invited to play in eight NHL All-Star games. After 21 pro seasons, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
• One of hockey's greatest goaltenders, Plante revolutionized the position – roving out of the crease, skating behind the net, and passing the puck to his team-mates. His book, The Art of Goaltending, solidified his pre-eminent place in the game.
• Jacques Plante also wrote poetry. Mon Amour is a tender poem to his wife.
• Plante died of stomach cancer on Feb. 27, 1986, in Sierre, Switzerland, where he had been living with his wife.
Plante ushers in masked goalie era
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News
Broadcast Date: Feb. 27, 1986
Reporter: Terry Walker
Duration: 0:55
Last updated:
March 9, 2010
Radio
12:13
Television
5:23
Friends and fans pay tribute to one of the Habs' greatest players.
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Ne pas deleter...fix IE6
It's not totally accurate to call Plante's mask "the first." Like the clip says, he was the first to wear it on a regular basis, several people wore them before Plante. You should clarify that. I hate to "wiki" you, but: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goaltender_mask
Submitted by: Tyler
Thanks for writing, Tyler. We had a couple of different versions of this clip, and have since changed the text everywhere so that it's accurate. Cheers.
Submitted by: Elizabeth, CBC Archives writer