← Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly
Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly
History of the Goalie Mask
00:33:43
We thought you might enjoy an episode from our sister podcast, “We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast” - this week it’s the history of the goalie mask. Coaches didn’t want them, managers rej…
Loading summary
Transcript25 lines
- [00:02]
Terry O'Reilly
Did you know that if you subscribe to our But Wait, There's More option, you get a bonus story in every episode of under the Influence. But Wait, there's more. For the price of a cup of coffee every month, you get early access so you hear every episode a full week before everybody else. Plus, you enjoy that episode ad free. Tsk tsk. And by subscribing, you support our podcast. Just go to Apple Podcasts and subscribe to under the Influences. But Wait, there's more.
- [00:41]
Jacques Plante
On WhatsApp, your personal messages stay private between you and whoever you send them to. So things like the passport numbers for your honeymoon stay between you and your fiance. And that video call for your grand's 80th stays in the family. Even your streaming password stays between you and your college roommates, who still ask for it every week in your group chat. Because on WhatsApp, your personal messages are yours. No one else can see or hear them, not even us. WhatsApp message privately at Energy Trust of.
- [01:13]
Energy Trust Representative
Oregon, we understand that energy isn't just what happens when you flip a switch, it's what happens afterwards. It's a home that can provide both shelter and peace of mind. It's a business that can run more efficiently and keep their dream alive. And it's communities that can thrive today and flourish tomorrow. That's energy. And that's why we partner with local utility companies to help you save energy and lower costs. For cash incentives and resources that can help power your life, visit energytrust.org.
- [01:43]
Christy and Kelly
Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. Hey, it's Christy and I'm Kelly. You might remember us as the OG Partners in Crime from Dance Moms. Well, this is Back to the Bar.
- [01:59]
Podcast Host
The podcast where we drag out every.
- [02:00]
Christy and Kelly
Insane, chaotic and iconic moment from the show. We're spilling the tea, calling out all the BS and sharing stuff you definitely didn't see on tv. New episodes drop every week, and yes, we're laughing through the drama for once. Follow Grab a drink and join us as we go back to the bar. ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.
- [02:31]
Terry O'Reilly
Hi everybody. This week we thought you might like to listen to an episode of We Regret to Inform you, which is another apostrophe podcast show. In this episode, it's the story of the goalie mask and how nobody wanted goalies to wear masks back in the day. The coaches didn't want it. The managers didn't want it. The brass that the NHL were all against it, but one goalie insisted on wearing a mask and he changed the history of hockey. And by the way, we regret to inform you, the podcast has just been picked up by CBC and runs on CBC Radio one on Wednesdays and Sundays. Here is Goalie Masks. This is an Apostrophe Podcast production.
- [03:43]
Christy and Kelly
This is we regret to inform you the Rejection Podcast. Anyone who wears a mask is a chicken. My face is my mask Gum Porsley the first organized game of hockey was said to take place on March 3, 1875, on Montreal's Victoria Skating Rink. Back then, the blades of hockey sticks were flat, which made it difficult to lift the puck off the ice, so the game stayed relatively low to the playing surface. Goalies were allowed to stop the puck only with their sticks. Dropping down onto the ice would result in penalties. Unless, of course, the drop was an accidental fall. One day in 1896, goalie George Merritt of the Winnipeg Victorias decided to strap a pair of cricket pads to his shins to protect his kneecaps in what was then called the Stanley Cup Challenge. Below the waist. Padding became more and more common amongst goaltenders, and soon more and more goaltenders started accidentally falling to stop a goal. So the president of the brand new National Hockey League made a change to the game. There were too many accidental falls happening on his watch, so in 1918, he announced that goalies could legally drop to their knees during play. In fact, he said goalies could stand on their heads if they thought it might stop a puck. Suddenly, the low game became extremely high risk. All across the league, men's noses were breaking, cheekbones shattering. But it may or may not surprise you to know that the first goalie to ever wear a mask in an organized game of hockey was a woman. 21 year old. Elizabeth Graham was a Queen's University student who was getting ready for a big game against the University of Toronto. Graham played goal for the Queen's Love Me Littles, a name coined to reflect the lack of love the women's team got from the men's. She'd recently had dental work done, thanks to an aerobatic save in a previous game, and she'd wanted to protect her investment. So on February 7, 1927, the goalie slid on a mesh fencing mask. Graham said she did it because it just made practical sense. Queens won that night. Three, two. And though the victory was headline worthy, what got written up the next day in the Montreal Daily star wasn't Elizabeth Graham's saves. It was her mask. Fast forward three years to 1930 meet Clint Benedict, a goalie for the Montreal Maroons. Benedict liked to drop down to his knees to make a save, so much so, he earned himself the nickname Praying Benny. But one night, the holy goalie was knocked unconscious by a flying puck, breaking multiple facial bones. Suddenly, Benny was praying for a swift recovery. Six weeks later, he returned to the ice. The Maroons were facing the New York Americans at Madison Square Garden. But that night, Benedict looked different. He slid into the crease, donning a big leather face mask. One historian described the mask as Martian, another as something adjacent to a boxer's sparring mask. Benedict played a handful of games with the Martian mask, but found the nose piece cumbersome, claiming it impaired his vision. A 21 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks solidified this theory. The first professional goalie to wear a face covering in a game ditched said face covering and no NHL player would wear a mask again for decades. In the book Saving Face the Art and History of the Goalie Mask, authors Jim Hynes and Gary Smith wrote that at that time goalies weren't considered to be in harm's way, so there was no need for added protection. But goalies everywhere felt differently about that. When asked why he showed up clean shaven on game days, Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Lauren Chabot said it was because he stitched up better on smooth skin. Legendary four time Stanley cup champion Terry Sawchuk received over 400 stitches in his face across his career. The goaltender sustained a broken nose twice over, a broken arm, broken foot, ruptured discs, a collapsed lung, a shattered elbow and the list goes on. Sawchuck once stopped a puck with a glove that offered no protection to the back of the hand and a player skated directly across it, severing all the tendons in his hand. Sawchuck would turn to self medicating and after a brawl with a teammate, succumb to his final injuries. It's said Sawchuck died a hero, but and a physical and mental wreck. Authors Hinds and Smith wrote that these NHL goalies endured the fear and pain because at the time there were only six decent goaltending jobs in the world. And despite the dangers, there was fierce competition for those jobs. There were no second string goalies you skated off the ice, were stitched up without anesthetic and sent back between the pipes to finish the game. In the 40s and 50s there was little talk about protecting one's head, but it wasn't lost on these players that they ought to start protecting their faces. So a few goalies started wearing masks in practice. Of course, a hockey mask still didn't exist, so players had to MacGyver face protectors. One looked like a welder's mask, another like a visor. They weren't great. Players complained they were too hot, that their breath fogged up the front, impairing their vision. But no one hated goalie masks more than the coaches and GMs. Hinds and Smith wrote that netminders who masked up faced a minefield of resistance from management. Grievances included that masks prevented goalies from seeing the puck at their feet. Masks eliminated fear in goalies, the fear that drove them to play well. Masks made goalies complacent and that a real man wouldn't hide his face from his opponents. General managers were responsible for ticket sales and to quote Muz Patrick, New York Rangers GM from 55 to 64 women who like hockey want to see the players faces. While you listen today, pop over to our socials. We collected images of all the masks in this episode, and some you really have to see to believe so you can find them postrophod on X or Instagram and we'll be right back and.
- [12:36]
AT&T Representative
Now a next level moment from AT&T business say you've sent out a gigantic shipment of pillows and they need to be there in time for International Sleep day. You've got AT and T5G so you're fully confident, but the vendor isn't responding and International Sleep Day is tomorrow. Luckily, AT&T 5G lets you deal with any issues with ease so the pillows will get delivered and everyone can sleep soundly, especially you. AT&T 5G requires a compatible plan and device. Coverage not available everywhere. Learn more@att.com 5G Network.
- [13:28]
Christy and Kelly
Patrick rejected safety concerns and stated that no goaltender for the Rangers would ever wear a mask. As the decades passed, hockey got faster, more aggressive. The game evolved, but the equipment did not and goalies developed crippling anxiety. Some players developed ulcers as young as 17. Others threw up in the dressing room between periods. One goalie for the Montreal Canadiens suffered asthma attacks and crippling nausea before games, but he was dismissed as a hypochondriac. That goalie was Jacques plante. In the 19591960 season, the Montreal Canadiens were in the midst of a record breaking Stanley cup streak. They'd taken home the cup in 1956, 1957, 1958 and 59, all with Jacques Plante in goal. Now they were on the heels of a fifth straight win in the seven NHL seasons he'd played. Up until that point, Plante had received 150 stitches in his face. So he, like a few of his fellow goaltenders, had started wearing masks in practice. Then one night in a game against the Boston Bruins, Plante's forehead was sliced by a puck. Play was paused while Plante got stitched up in the locker room. Fans anxiously awaited his return. And as the minutes ticked by, one of those fans got an idea. His name was Bill Birchmore. He worked for Fiberglass Canada in Montreal. Fiberglass is essentially glass reinforced plastic used mostly to make boats at that time. It was easy to mold and manipulate, but hardened after setting into a strong yet light material. And Birchmore started to wonder, what if he made the Montreal Canadiens goalie a fiberglass mask? Birchmore decided to write the beloved goaltender a letter detailing his concept for a plastic mask and offering to custom make one for Plant. All Plante would have to do was sit still while Birchmore molded the plastic to fit his face. Plante likely got hundreds, if not thousands of letters every season from hockey fans, but this one gave him pause. Birchmore said surely Plante thought he was nuts. But soon the Stanley cup winning goalie, along with the team's trainer and doctor, were standing in front of him. Birchmore placed a woman's stocking over Plante's head before covering his skin with Vaseline and sliding straws into his nostrils. Then Birchmore poured liquid plastic all down Jacques Plante's face. The mask would weigh about 1 pound at 316 of an inch thick. It was white with round eye holes, a rectangular mouth hole and frankly, it looked a little Michael Myers esque. But Birchmore didn't care if people found the mask off putting. He said he designed it for protection, not for aesthetics. It fit perfectly to the contours of Plante's face, adding, if it was made for Clark Gable, it would look like Clark Gable. Plant wore his new mask at practice but was given a strict directive never to wear it in a game. Canadiens coach Toe Blake said if Plante wore the mask and they lost a game, the mask would be blamed. If he wore the mask and he lost his record fifth straight NHL Goalie of the Year award, the mask would be blamed. If he wore the mask and the Canadiens lost their bid at a fifth straight Stanley cup, the mask would be blamed. So Plante left the mask in the locker room on game days. Then, on November 1, 1959, the Canadiens faced the New York Rangers on enemy ice. And three minutes into the game, a slap shot by Rangers star Andy Bathgate clocked Plant right in the nose. Plont said the coach always told him to use his head, and he did. His nose was broken. He needed stitches. And it was then that Plante told Coach Blake he wouldn't finish the game without his mask. Blake wasn't happy without a second string goalie. He started searching for amateur goalies in the stands. When no decent alternative materialized, Blake reluctantly allowed Plant back into the net if, and only if, he promised to discard the mask as soon as his face healed. Plant skated back onto the ice under a 1 pound sheet of fiberglass, and by the time he reached the crease, the stands fell silent. Then audible gasps echoed around the Garden. One sports writer said the white mask looked like Plant's exposed skull. Others wrote that Plant looked like something out of a Hollywood horror show, like he died from the neck up. One Rangers fan said that Plante had missed Halloween by a day. Another wondered aloud if he was aware of how much he'd startled the elderly and frightened the children. Rangers goalie Gump Worsley said any goalie who wore a mask was a chicken. His face was his mask. The Canadians beat the Rangers that night three to one. Soon word spread beyond the Garden about Plante's plastic protector, and more players chimed in. The consensus no woman would ever come watch a game if Plante wore an unsightly mask. But Plante said at the rate he was going, pretty soon his own face would be the Hollywood Horror Show. And we'll be right back.
- [20:54]
LifeLock Representative
Sometimes an identity threat is a ring of professional hackers, and sometimes it's an overworked accountant who forgot to encrypt their connection while sending bank details.
- [21:02]
Christy and Kelly
I need a coffee.
- [21:04]
LifeLock Representative
And you need lifelock, because your info is in endless places. It only takes one mistake to expose you to identity theft. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it. And guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year at lifelock.com Specialoffer terms apply on WhatsApp.
- [21:25]
Jacques Plante
Your personal messages stay private between you and whoever you send them to, so things like the passport numbers for your honeymoon stay between you and your fiance. And that video call for your grand's 80th stays in the family. Even your streaming password stays between you and your college roommates, who still ask for it every week in your group chat. Because on WhatsApp, your personal messages are yours. No one else can see or hear them, not even us. WhatsApp message privately, we quilt this city.
- [21:57]
Christy and Kelly
We quilt this city with a comfy roll with quilting Northern to be specific. So cushy and so plushy. Just give it it a try. Feeling is believing. Quilted with three cushy layers for your comfort. We know what's comfy and now you do too.
- [22:23]
Shopify Representative
Keep it quilted with quilted Northern.
- [22:46]
Christy and Kelly
Following their win over the Rangers, Plant's nose started to heal. His stitches were removed, but his mask was not. Plante disregarded his coach's order and continued to wear the mask, and the Canadiens continued winning 8 games, 9 games, 12 games, 15, 17, 18 straight wins meant Toe Blake wasn't asking any questions. But come the 19th game and first loss since donning the mask, Plante's grace period was over. Jacques Plante took the mask off the following game. The Canadiens lost three nothing to Detroit, so Plante slid the mask back on. Within a couple months, Bill Birchmore decided to make Plante a new mask he'd met with. Plante, listened to his gripes, taken some notes and come up with a second iteration, first and foremost, one that would provide better ventilation. This mask was made with fiberglass again, but fiberglass yarn instead of one solid sheet, giving the mask a cage like appearance. It would become known as the pretzel mask, though some described it as looking like worms crawling across a goalie's face. Plante debuted the pretzel mask in January of 1960. Plant said in order to keep the mask, he knew he had to keep winning. When he played well, no one said a word. When he let a goal in, everyone blamed the mask. Toe Blake. Plante's teammates, fans, reporters, everybody questioned his judgment. Hockey purists called Plant a coward. Fellow goalies criticized Plant. Gump Worsley asked why after all these years, a goalie would suddenly worry so much about injuries, adding that wearing a mask would deprive fans of his beautiful face. Meanwhile, Boston Bruins goalie Eddie Johnston had his nose broken three times in 10 days. One night after a game, a fan asked Plante if wearing a mask proved he was scared, and Plante replied, if you jumped out of a plane without a parachute, would that prove you were brave? The Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4 Nothing in the 1960 Stanley Cup Finals, a fifth consecutive Stanley cup win for the Canadiens, a record that still stands today. Jacques Plante and his mask didn't let in a single goal. Plante was awarded his fifth straight trophy for top goalie in the NHL in the 196162 season. Plante played goal in all 70 games. The Canadiens lost in the semis, but that year Plante was named NHL MVP, the first goalie to ever receive the honor. In 1965, Plant decided to motivate the masses. He started a goalie mask company. His first attempt at designing his own mask was a flop. One size fits all. Resin pretzel masks that fit awkwardly or cracked in cold arenas. But the goalie took a second shot at mask making. He launched a company called Fibrosport in 1970 and began making custom masks. Soon he was selling 8,000 masks per year. If a goalie would break their nose or fracture their jaw in a game, Plante would send them a Fibrosport. Then a plumber from Norwood, Massachusetts had an idea. Ernie Higgins was a superintendent whose son tended golf for Boston College. Higgins decided one day to make his son a bespoke mask, one that provided more coverage and stayed put even in a fast paced game. Soon word spread around Boston about Higgins new style of mask. And the Bruins came a knockin. The Higgins mask was almost the lovechild of Birchmore's original fiberglass mask and the pretzel mask. It was white and solid, but with more holes for ventilation. It also covered more than just the face, both tucking under the cheeks chin and extending over the top of the head. The Higgins mask was such a hit. Ernie Higgins left his plumbing job and became a full time mask maker. At 54 years old in 1967, Bruin Jerry Cheevers wore a Higgins mask for the first time. Then one day during practice, Cheevers took a shot off the mask. As authors Hines and Smith tell the story, Cheevers wasn't a fan of practice in the first place. So that particular day he skated off the ice, stomped into the locker room, found a crispy Coke and a black marker. And while he sipped, Bruins trainer John Frosty Forestall sketched a stitch on his Higgins. He said, that'll show them how hurt you are. But when Bruins coach Harry Sinden all but dragged Cheevers back onto the ice to finish practice, it was his teammates who ended up in stitches. The black stitch across his white mask was cheeky and distinctive. Cheevers was later heard saying the mask was a little too white for his liking. Anyway. White represented purity, and pure wasn't exactly how he saw himself. From that day on, every time Cheevers was pucked in the mug, he would add another stitch. Cheevers mask would become the single most recognizable mask in hockey history. It became the perfect emblem for the mask movement, an actual visual showing coaches, players and fans just how often goalies were hit in the face. It also birthed a brand new phenomenon, the idea of personalizing one's mask. By the late 60s, what were historically flat hockey stick blades became curved, making it easier to lift the puck off the ice. And the energy around goalie masks really began to shift. More and more goalies started masking up. But perhaps the most critical shift came from the top. Suddenly, coaches and GMs started seeing masks not as a liability, but as protection of their investments. In fact, it was discovered that masks enhanced a goalie's game by allowing them to drop to their knees more readily without fear of facial injury. Even New York Rangers GM Muz Patrick, the man who declared no Ranger would ever wear a mask, changed his tune, ordering all junior rangers to wear masks and get used to it. The great Glenn hall, inventor of the low to the ice butterfly style of goaltending, was said to be the first of the old guard to adopt the mask. Hall was quoted as saying he wanted to be sure he could collect his paycheck personally, adding he didn't want it mailed to the Good Samaritan hospital or cemetery. Masks began to improve. The Higgins mask evolved into the birdcage and by 1970 the majority of goalies in the NHL wore masks, though there were still a few holdouts. Leafs legend Johnny Bauer, who had received over 200 stitches in his 12 year 4 Stanley cup winning career, refused to adopt the mask until the final games of his NHL career in 1970. December 31, 1972 would be the NHL's last all maskless game between Detroit and Minnesota. Andy Brown versus Gump Worsley. Supposedly Worsley was told life after hockey would simply be better with both eyes. And soon the Gumper decided his feet face would be his mask no longer. By the 19731974 season, the mask's biggest critic slid on his own, though he was on record loathing every second of it until the day he retired. The last NHL goalie to go barefaced in a game would be andy Brown in 1974. The following year, Jacques Plante stopped his final goal and the goalie who was called a coward, a chicken, a Hollywood horror show, told masks would hinder his game, make him less alert, that less fear would make him a worse player. Ridiculed by coaches, managers, players, journalists and hockey fans everywhere, retired one of the greatest goalies in NHL history, who single handedly changed the face of the game.
- [33:36]
Terry O'Reilly
Sport is an interesting endeavor. Nobody wants to lose. But if you look beneath the bravado of athletes. If you dive deeper than the press conferences, you discover the real fear. It's not losing, it's being humiliated. Boxers deal with this constantly. Any good fighter can deal with losing. The bigger fear is being humiliated in front of a crowd. Goaltenders are also a breed apart. NHL goalies often say they have more in common with opposition goalies than they do with their own teammates. Jacques Plante himself once said, how would you like a job where when you made a mistake, a red light goes on and 18,000 people boo? That's life in the arena. So when you look back at Plant's decision to wear a mask in an era where no one wore a mask, he risked massive humiliation. He was labeled a coward, not just by the press, but by other goalies. The league was against it. Plant's coach was against it. His teammates were leery of losing because of it. But sometimes it's better to beg forgiveness than ask permission. Plont knew he would be a better goaltender if he could lose the fear of being hit in the face by the puck. He knew it in his bones. So he was willing to endure humiliation because he knew it would be temporary. A lot of us fear that kind of career humiliation. We choose not to step into the arena for fear of being booed or ignored, or worse, ridiculed. But you have to love, honor and obey your gut feelings. Your gut will never steer you wrong, because your gut only has your best interests at heart. It's not beholden to anyone else. That's why you have to listen to the quiet wind chime of your intuition without debate, because that's where the glory is. Today, goalies not only wear masks, they are a canvas for personal expression. Many of those masks are meant to be intimidating, which is ironic as the league originally tried to intimidate Jacques Plante to drop his mask, but his gut wouldn't let him. If your gut keeps tugging at you, if your intuition won't leave you alone, it's probably worth the shot. Never, ever give up.
- [36:37]
Jacques Plante
Jacques Plante NHL career 18 seasons Regular season 837 NHL goalie of the year wins 7 Most of any goaltender NHL MVP wins 1 All Star appearances 8 Stanley Cups 6 Inducted into the Hockey hall of Fame 1978 Pucks to the Face Countless.
- [37:14]
Christy and Kelly
The Rejection Podcast is an Apostrophe Podcast production and is recorded in our Airstream mobile recording studio. This series is written By Me, Sydney O'Reilly Production and research by Allison Pinches Director Callie O'Reilly Engineer Jeff Devine Theme music by James Ayton Jeremiah Pick and Casey Pick. Tunes provided by APM Music and we're powered by Acast. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like rejecting Hayley Wickenheiser. Talk about a hockey pioneer. Wickenheiser was cut from teams just for being a girl. She had to sleep in janitors closets at hockey camps and change in storage rooms at competitions. She paved the way for female hockey players everywhere, but it was not an easy road and her story is one of our favorites of the entire series. Skate on over to our archives. Follow us on socials apostrophepod this series is executive produced and co hosted by one Terry O'Reilly. See you next time.
- [38:28]
Podcast Host
Gas, Groceries, Eating out it all adds up fast. With the Verizon Visa card, you get rewarded every time you spend. Get 4% in rewards on gas, dining and at grocery stores and you can put those rewards toward your Verizon bill or on new tech like a smartwatch and earbuds. Apply today at Verizon. Application required. Subject to credit approval. Must be a Verizon mobile account owner or manager or FIOS account owner. See verizon.com for terms and restrictions. The Verizon Visa Signature card is issued by Synchrony bank pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc.
- [38:57]
EasyCater Representative
You know that thing called AI supposed to make the workplace super efficient? Well, there's something better. DI Delicious Intelligence. It's tech that helps make work efficient and yummy. Leading the DI revolution EasyCater a workplace food platform that connects you to tons of favorite restaurants with tools to save time and stay on budget. Need tacos for 20? Falafel for 40? A variety of vegan breakfast sandwiches? Now that's a tasty prompt. Join the DI Revolution Order now@easycater.com Starting.
- [39:28]
Shopify Representative
A business can be overwhelming. You're juggling multiple roles designer, marketer, logistics manager, all while bringing your vision to life. But for millions of businesses, Shopify is the ultimate partner. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. Build a stunning online store with Shopify's ready to use templates. Boost content with AI powered product descriptions, page headlines and enhanced photography. Marketing is easy with built in tools for email and social media campaigns. Plus, Shopify simplifies everything from inventory to shipping and returns. If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn your big business idea into With Shopify on your side, sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com try go to shopify.com try shopify.com.
- [40:25]
Christy and Kelly
Try.
- [40:28]
Smoothie King Representative
Life is a workout, and Smoothie King is here to help you power through. Whether you're grinding out bicep curls or muscling the couch across the living room, crushing morning miles or sprinting through back to back meeting eatings, Smoothie King has fuel to help you maximize your workouts, own your recovery and elevate your game. Give your body the energy, protein and power it needs with a lineup of delicious smoothies made to help you conquer your goals. Only at Smoothie King.