Goalie Masks

Goalie masks not only give protection but each one is a unique piece of art. No two are exactly the same and they allow for the goaltender to express his or her individuality. Many goalies will change the way their mask is painted every year while others will keep the same theme their entire career. Gerry Cheevers of the Boston Bruins started this tradition in the 1960s'. He would paint stitches on his mask to indicate where he would have had real stitches if he hadn't been wearing a mask.
Although it is widely held that Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens was the inventor of the goalie mask in the late 1950s' he was actually not the first to wear one. Elizabeth Graham of Queen's University wore a fiberglass fencing mask in 1927 to protect her teeth. The first NHL goalie to wear a mask was Clint Benedict of the Montreal Maroons in 1930 when he wore a crude leather mask to protect a broken nose. Teiji Honma of Japan wore a cage mask similar to a baseball catcher's mask at the 1936 Olympics.
Plante's design was made of fiberglass and moulded to fit his face. He used the mask in practise but it was not until after he received a cut in a 1959 game against the New York Rangers that he actually wore it in a game. Montreal then went on a long unbeaten streak with Plante wearing the mask. He was asked to remove it and Montreal lost the game. Plante put the mask back on and used it for the rest of his career. His moulded fiberglass design was adopted by other goaltenders and was immortalized by Jason of the "Friday the 13th" horror movie series. The last NHL goalie to play without a mask was Andy Brown of the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 1974.
Further evolution of the goalie mask in the 1970s' saw hockey helmets fitted with a wire face cage. This style of protective head gear for goalies was first popularized in Europe but soon found its way to North America. Some NHL goalies to have worn this type of mask were Billy Smith, Dan Cloutier, Dominek Hasek and possibly the last one was Rick Dipietro of the New York Islanders. Like the fiberglass facemask this style of mask has lost favour because it doesn't provide adequate face and head protection.
Today's masks are much improved over the old designs. They are made in one piece of fiberglass, carbon fiber or a mix of fiberglass and kevlar. They cover both the face and the side of the head to back behind the ears and have a cage fitted in the middle. This design disperses the impact of the puck better than the helmet/cage style and are now in use at all levels of play. Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins has come up with a new mask which sort of looks like a helmet/cage but is made like the one piece. He claims it allows him to see and hear better and to breath easier.
Goalie masks are available for all ages and skill levels. Purchasing a mask can be difficult as every person's head is shaped differently and the masks will not fit everyone the same. Be sure to select one that is comfortable as well as giving the protection you need. Goalie masks are also available to fit most budgets.

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