It became less of a hindrance, and more of a good decision, as they proved they could still play at the highest level while keeping all of their teeth.or whatever ones they had left. Just months later, Boston Bruins netminder Don Simmons became the second goalie ever to wear a mask, and more followed after that. Plante didn't care, and soon he wasn't the only goalie to go against the tide and don a mask. Wearing the mask not only would block his vision and affect his play, but it made him look like he was afraid, and had people questioning his toughness. He had found his excuse to wear a mask during a game, and never looked back.Īcross the NHL, players, fans and media all felt it was a poor decision on Plante's part. Plante came back out on to the ice stitched up, but with a mask covering his face. Andy Bathgate, a powerful forward for the Rangers, came steaming in on net and ripped a shot off the face of Plante, sending him into the dressing room for repairs. 1, 1959, in a game against the New York Rangers. Talk about tough love, and especially for a goalie who was on his way to winning his fifth straight Vezina Trophy as the best in the league.Įverything changed on Nov. It wasn't just that no goalie before him had ever worn a mask during a game in the NHL, but that his coaches, including head coach Toe Blake, thought it would hinder his vision, and therefore told Plante he would not be able to wear the mask. After experimenting with designs off the ice for months, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante felt he had found the right kind of goalie mask to use for protection in a game, but there was just one problem.
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