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Queen's university
Queen’s University goaltender Elizabeth Graham wore a fencing mask to protect her teeth. -
leather mask
Montreal Maroons goaltender Clint Benedict is said to have worn a goalie mask after taking a shot in the face. later he came back with a leather mask that covered half of his face for just a few games before he tossed it. -
Olympic first
Japan’s Teiji Honma was the first to wear a goalie mask in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 winter Olympics, made of leather with a wire cage to protect his glasses. -
mask in Toronto hockey hall of fame
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante was hit in the face with a hockey puck. After getting stitched up, he returned to the ice with the goalie mask he’d been using in practice. The coach wouldn't let Plante wear the mask during games up until that point, but Plante said he wouldn’t go back on the ice without it. The coach let him due to NHL teams not having spare goalies. It was made of fibreglass that covered his entire face. -
stiches mask
Gerry Cheevers had his trainer paint stitches on his fibreglass mask whenever a puck or stick hit him in the face. It is still perhaps the most recognizable goalie mask in hockey history. He is thought to be the pioneer of goalie mask art and design.
Dave Dryden, brother of Ken, was the first to create and wear the modern-day fibreglass mask with a cage. He cut out space in the fibreglass mask and filled it with a cage to help better protect his face. -
cage hybrid
In the Summit Series, Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak used a helmet-cage hybrid mask. It featured a regular hockey helmet with a full birdcage covering the face, which soon after became quite admired. Even after they went out of style, Dominik Hasek continued to wear this type of mask until the year of 2008 and Chris Osgood still wears one with the Detroit Red Wings. It is considered lighter along with giving better vision. -
mask less
Andy Brown was the final North American professional hockey player to play without a mask. -
late 1970's
Eye injuries to Gerry Dejardins and Bernie Parent increased the transition speed for goalies to use more protective masks. -
today
The birdcage masks, a la Hasek and Osgood, are almost fully replaced by the hybrid fibreglass cage masks. Goalie masks have become an art form, an appearance and an addition of a goalie’s uniform. Companies and the makers are still continually trying to modify designs to better serve goalies, both in safety, performance and comfort.
