Jacques Plante

Jacques Plante (1929–1986) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who helped make protective face masks standard in the NHL after wearing one in a game in 1959.

Dick Irvin: A Canadian ice hockey coach and broadcaster who coached the Montreal Canadiens from 1940 to 1955. Irvin coached Plante during the goaltender’s early seasons with Montreal.
1959 NHL season: The 42nd season of the National Hockey League, played from 1959 to 1960. Plante began wearing his mask in regular-season play during this season.
Goaltender mask: Protective equipment worn over a hockey goaltender’s face to reduce injury from pucks and sticks. Plante’s regular use helped establish the mask as standard goaltending equipment.
Barefaced goaltending: The practice of playing ice hockey goalie without protective face equipment. Plante’s choice challenged the prevailing expectation that goalies should play without masks.
Toe Blake: A Canadian ice hockey player and coach who led the Montreal Canadiens from 1955 to 1968. Blake initially resisted Plante’s use of a mask, then allowed him to wear it after an injury.
Madison Square Garden: An indoor arena in New York City that has hosted major sporting events since 1968 at its current site. Plante wore his mask in an NHL game at the Garden in November 1959.
Goalie helmet: Protective headgear worn by ice hockey goaltenders, often integrated with a face cage or mask. Later helmet designs expanded protection beyond the face mask Plante popularized.
Clint Benedict's face protector: A leather face protector worn briefly by goaltender Clint Benedict after a facial injury in 1930. It predates Plante’s mask but did not become regular equipment in the NHL.
Maurice Richard: A Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1942 to 1960. Richard was a prominent Montreal teammate during Plante’s years with the Canadiens.
Montreal Canadiens: A professional ice hockey team based in Montreal and a member of the National Hockey League. Plante spent most of his playing career with Montreal and won six Stanley Cups there.

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La BohèmeRelated: Plante co-wrote the lyrics that give the painter’s memories their narrative shape.