Goalie Masks; Their History and Symbolism
The goalie mask has been in the NHL since the late 50s. With many faces behind them, the mask has gained a rich history. The history as well as, symbolism some goalies use on their masks is something that is very impressive. In a few cases, there are current goalies honoring past, historic players. For example, Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators had a mask for the 2023-24 season honoring many players. He had the names and stitches painted on to pay homage to one of the most iconic masks, Gerry Cheevers.
Gerry Cheevers is a big deal in the NHL. Coaching the Bruins starting in the 1980-81 season, and playing from 1961, until ‘79. His mask showed stitching in spots that seemed random, but they were all in this particular place to show where he had gotten hit. It was used to demonstrate how useful the goalie masks really were. Though the masks were not made mandatory until the 1979-80 season, most goalies were using masks by 1975.
The first goalie mask to be worn regularly was in 1959 by Jacque Plante. If you are a goalie in hockey, I am sure you have heard this name before. Plante is a hockey legend not only for wearing the mask but also why he started wearing it. During a game, he got hit with a puck to the face. Blood dripping down his face he threw on a mask and continued playing like nothing happened. His mask was made of fiberglass and only covered the front of his face with straps around the back to hold it in place. This was the beginning of the well-known masks.
From there, goalies began wearing masks more often and it became unusual not to have one. As I mentioned earlier, the NHL finally made the safety gear mandatory in the 1979-80 regular season. This happens to be the same year Wayne Gretzky joined the NHL. With that information, it really puts into perspective how recently these rules were put in place. The mask has not been a necessity for long, at all.
Today, all goalies are wearing masks and making them their own. They were painted and taped to make each goalie look unique. There would be mascots, animals, nicknames, dedications, and pop culture references like Star Wars and Anchorman. Some of the most recognizable masks belong to players like; Curtis Joseph, Marc Andre-Fleury, Tuukka Rask, and Dominik Hasek. Joseph played for the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the late 90s to early 2000s. His gear depicted the rabid dog from Stephen King’s novel, ‘Cujo’, Curtis Joseph’s nickname. Goalies like Rask and Hasek had their team represented; Rask with a grizzly bear for the Bruins’ mascot and Hasek with the Red Wings logo.
There are so many different goalie masks with significant meaning and beautiful art displayed. These are just a few mentioned above. With the upcoming season, we can expect more dedications and meaningful displays. With Johnny Gaudreau’s recent passing, you can almost guarantee there will be some form of symbol or representation on one of the goalies' masks this season. There will be plenty of artists displaying their impressive art and goalies displaying their personalities while the hockey mask continues to improve its safety.
