A goaltender mask, commonly referred to as a goalie mask or a hockey mask, is a
mask worn by ice hockey, inline hockey, and field hockey goaltenders to protect
the head from injury. Jacques Plante was the first goaltender to create and use a
practical mask in 1959. Plante's mask was a piece of fiberglass that was
contoured to his face. This mask later evolved into a helmet/cage combination,
and single piece full fiberglass mask. Today, the full fiberglass mask with the
birdcage facial protector is the more popular option because it is safer and
offers better visibility. History
The first goaltender mask was a metal fencing mask donned in February 1927 by
Queen's University netminder Elizabeth Graham, mainly to protect her teeth. In
1930, the first crude leather model of the mask was worn by Clint Benedict to
protect his broken nose. After recovering from the injury, he abandoned
the mask, never wearing one again in his career. At the 1936 Winter Olympics,
Teiji Honma wore a crude mask, similar to the one worn by baseball catchers.
The mask was made of leather, and had a wire cage which protected the face, as
well as Honma's large circular glasses. It was not until 1959 that a goaltender
wore a mask full-time. On November 1, 1959, in a game between the Montreal
Canadiens and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League, Canadiens
goaltender Jacques Plante was struck in the face by a shot from Andy Bathgate.
Plante had previously worn his mask in practice, but coach Toe Blake refused to
permit him to wear it in a game, fearing it would inhibit his vision. After being
stitched up, Plante gave Blake an ultimatum, refusing to go back out onto
the ice without the mask, to which Blake obliged not wanting to forfeit the game
since NHL teams did not have back-up goaltenders at the time. Plante went on
a long unbeaten streak wearing the mask, which stopped when he was asked to
remove it for a game. After which, donning the mask for the remainder of
his career. When Plante introduced the mask into the game, many questioned his
dedication and bravery; in response, Plante made an analogy to a person
skydiving without a parachute. Although Plante faced some laughter, the
face-hugging fiberglass goaltender mask soon became the standard.
Since the invention of the fiberglass hockey mask, professional goaltenders no
longer play without a mask. The last goaltender to play without a mask was
Andy Brown, who played his last NHL game in 1974. He would then go to the
Indianapolis Racers of the WHA and play without a mask till his retirement in
1977. Types
= Face-Hugging= The face-hugging fiberglass, the type
which was worn first by Jacques Plante, is a longtime symbol of ice hockey as
typified by the famous painting At the Crease, by Ken Danby. This style of mask
is no longer used by hockey leagues, yet its fame continues because of its use by
horror movie icon Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th film series. A similar
design is also featured on the 1993-2006 Mighty Ducks NHL logo and can still be
seen on the shoulder patch of the current Anaheim Ducks sweater. Casey
Jones of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise also wears a stylized
version of the mask, as did D-Roc the Executioner, the late guitarist of the
heavy metal band Body Count. Similarly, the members of Hollywood Undead are
always seen wearing signature masks based on this design. The goaltender
mask evolved further from the original face-hugging fiberglass mask designed by
Plante. = Helmet/Cage combination=
In the 1970s, a helmet/cage combination became popular, which was popularized by
Vladislav Tretiak, the noted Russian goaltender who competed against Canada
in the 1972 Summit Series and against the USA in the 1980 winter Olympics
known as the Miracle On Ice . Like the original fiberglass design, the
helmet/cage combination has been criticized for not providing adequate
facial/cranial protection. Dan Cloutier switched from this type of mask to the
widely more popular full fiberglass citing safety reasons upon the advice of
the Los Angeles Kings. Dominik Hašek, a Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy–winner in
the late 1990s used this type of mask; Hašek retired from the NHL in 2008. Rick
DiPietro, last with the New York Islanders, is one of the last NHL
goalies to use this type of mask. Goalies at lower levels of hockey who
choose to use this design cite reasons such as the plastic helmet used is
lighter than the fiberglass or composite materials used in other designs, and
that the helmet has a wider opening than a traditional mask for a less
claustrophobic feeling and better sight of the puck.
= Fiberglass/Cage combination= The second type of goaltender mask is a
fiberglass mask with a cage attached in the middle. It can also be made out of
carbon fiber, or a fiberglass and kevlar mix. These masks are able to better
withstand the impacts of hockey puck at higher speeds and are used at all levels
of organized ice hockey. These masks are considered safer since they disperse the
impact of the puck better than the helmet/cage combination. Former
goaltender Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins wore a newer style one piece
called a Sportmask Mage RS, which is made like the newer fiberglass mask, but
resembles the helmet/cage combination. Tactical play
The advent of the goaltender mask changed the way goaltenders play,
allowing them to make more saves on their knees without fear of serious head
or facial injuries. Before the advent of the mask, most goaltenders stayed
standing as much as possible. In the modern era, a goaltender is likely to
make the majority of saves when he has one or both knees on the ice. With the
technological advancement of the mask, shots hitting the head typically only
cause temporary discomfort instead of serious concussions and lacerations;
however, a mask does not guarantee avoiding injury, and goaltenders have
been concussed by a shot hitting the head. Some goaltenders, like Dominik
Hasek and Henrik Lundqvist, have used their heads intentionally to stop shots.
Lundqvist said that his reason for this is to not obstruct his vision by placing
his catching glove in front of his mask to stop the shot.
Mask decoration With the available surface area provided
by fiberglass masks, goaltenders find it fashionable to give their mask
distinctive decorations. This tradition started with the earliest masks, notably
by the now-retired Boston Bruins goaltender Gerry Cheevers, who was known
for drawing stitches on his mask whenever it got hit. These stitches
represented where Cheevers would have been cut had he not been wearing his
mask. Modern-day masks also offer this ability, and goaltenders are
well-identified with their helmet design, often transferring the motif
into their new team's colors when traded or signed to a new team.
Other uses = Other Sports=
In recent years, baseball catchers have begun wearing facemasks similar in style
to goaltender masks. Charlie O'Brien was the first to use a hockey style
catcher's mask in a Major League Baseball game in 1996 while playing for
the Toronto Blue Jays. Goaltender masks are commonly seen being
worn by box lacrosse and field hockey goaltenders at both youth and
professional levels. See also
Hockey helmet References
External links A Brief History of the Goalie Mask
MyPuck Rent a Goalie - with pictures of goalies in masks