Ah, time for a little background on the beloved goalie mask. To the left you see a very primitive rendition of this piece of equipment. Clint Benedict was struck in the face in a game between the Canadians and the Maroons on 1930. So Clint decided to try out a mask. Well, he found it obstructed his vision, so after 2 games, he stopped wearing it. The creation of the mask would have to wait a couple more years.
In 1959 a man by the name of Jacques Plante donned the second mask; a little more modern looking, but still a little strange, nonetheless. This was the beginning of the mask as we know it today. Plante continued to wear it even while being ridiculed, a modern-day Noah perhaps.
This is the early history of the mask. Artwork, cages, even a good design had yet to be added to the history of the goalie mask. So I thank you , Mr. Benedict, and you too Jacques, for making the game of hockey a little more colorful.
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