Goaltender mask
A goalie mask is a mask worn by an ice hockey goaltender to protect the head from injury.
History
ben
knows hes likes you its a well known common factThe first goalie mask was actually a fiberglass fencing mask worn by a woman(also know as the dishwasher), Queen's University netminder Elizabeth Graham, in February of 1927, mainly to protect her teeth. [1] It wasn't until three years later that a crude leather model of a mask (actually a football "nose-guard") was worn by Clint Benedict to protect his broken nose.[2] After recovering from the injury, he never used it again. Jacques Plante was the first to wear a mask full-time after being struck in the face with a puck during a game in 1959.[3] Although Plante faced some derision, the fiberglass goalie mask soon became the standard and a symbol of the game as typified by the famous painting, "At The Crease," by Ken Danby. This style of mask is no longer used by hockey leagues; yet its fame continues because of its continued use by comedy icon Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th movie series.[4] Since the invention of the fiberglass hockey mask, professional goalies no longer play without a mask. The last goalie not to wear a mask was Andy Brown, who last played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 1973-74 season.[5]
The advent of the goalie mask changed the way goaltenders play, allowing them to make more saves on their knees without fear of serious head or facial injuries. Before the advent of the mask, most goaltenders stayed standing as much as possible. In the modern era, a goaltender is likely to make the majority of saves when he has one or both knees on the ice.
Current types
Helmet/cage combination
Two kinds of goalie masks are currently in use. The first one is a simple helmet/cage combination made famous in the 1970's by Soviet goalie, Vladislav Tretiak.[6] It is not generally popular because there is perception by some that this type of mask cannot fully deflect the force of high-speed slapshots (despite criticisms, the mask configuration is currently being used by Dominik Hašek and Chris Osgood in the NHL). [7], Dan Cloutier temporarily switched to the more common close-fitting mask upon advice from the Kings citing safety reasons.[8] However, the helmet (and cage) Hasek uses for his combo, made by Warwick Mask Company, is of one piece fibreglass, making it as safe (if not safer)[citation needed] than the standard goalie worn by most other goalies.
With this type of mask three styles of cages are currently in use.
- Standard cage - similar to the kind used on the simple helmet of the 1970s.
- Cat-Eye cage - improves visibility by using angled wires, and a straight one down the middle. This type may be either "Certified" or "Uncertified." The Uncertified mask has holes which are large enough for a stick to pass through.
- Ringette cage - uses diagonal wiring vertically (like a chain link fence) and straight horizontal wiring to create a ring effect. These are as safe as the standard type and are usually certified.
Full fiberglass
The second type of goalie mask is a fiberglass mask with a cage attached in the middle.[9] The goalie mask can also be made out of carbon fiber, or a fiberglass and kevlar mix. [9] These masks are able to better withstand the impacts of hockey puck at higher speeds and are generally used at major junior, college and professional levels.
The back of the head is protected differently by each type of mask. The helmet/cage combos distribute impact throughout the mask since the back of the helmet is integral to the whole mask. Most helmets are player's helmets, which are two pieces screwed together.
One piece fiberglass versions (see Hasek pic above) are now also available at a higher cost (and limited distribution), and this option is arguably the safest type of mask to use, because it has most of the benefits of each type of system. The fiberglass mask has a separate back plate which does not distribute the impact similarly. Fiberglass masks also do not handle side impacts as well, since the fiberglass shell will often resonate much like a bell. Fiberglass masks work best when the impact being absorbed is received square to the center of the mask. The fiberglass mask is the most popular one among goalies today.
Because of the available surface area provided by fibreglass masks, goalies find it fashionable to give their mask distinctive decorations. This tradition started with the early 'Jason' style masks, most notably by Gerry Cheevers, who was known for drawing stitches on his mask whenever it got hit.[10] These stitches represented where Cheevers would have been cut had he not been wearing his mask.[11] The fibreglass helmets used in the helmet/cage combo masks also offer this advantage. These days, a goalie is well-identified with his helmet design, often transferring the motif into their new team's colors when traded or signed to a new team.
One notable tribute goalie mask has lately been worn by Hannu Toivonen of the Boston Bruins. It depicts the fanged Jolly Roger skull and crossbones mask artwork worn by fictional goalie Denis Lemieux in the hockey movie Slap Shot.
In recent years, baseball catchers have begun to wear similar masks. The first such mask made its debut in 1996 by Charlie O'Brien who was playing with the Toronto Blue Jays at the time.
See also
References
- ^ "Forget Jacques Plante". Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ "History of Masks". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ "Joseph Jacques Omer "Jake the Snake" Plante". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ "Jason Voorhees figurehead". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ "Andrew Conrad (Andy) Brown". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ "Vladislav Tretiak". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ http://www.hockeygoalies.org/bio/hasek.html
- ^ "Dan Cloutier". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ a b "Goalie Masks". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ "Gerry Cheevers". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ "Gerry Cheevers Biography". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
