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NHL Goalie Masks Through The Years

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 5, 2007

Nov. 1, 1959: Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the first NHL goalie to wear a mask regularly after catching a puck in the face from Andy Bathgate. His molded, fiberglass model is ridiculed, but Plante does not give in to long-held cultural bias against masks on goalies.

1974: Detroit goaltender Jim Rutherford employs artist and mask maker Greg Harrison to paint red wings above the eye holes on his otherwise white mask. This is generally acknowledged as the precursor to today's elaborate designs.

Late 1980s-2000s: Artwork becomes more personalized and stylized, most notably for Eddie "the Eagle" Belfour and Curtis "Cujo" Joseph. Digital imagery begins to appear on masks, lending more and more realism and personalization to the artwork.

Complete timeline, Page 4

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