November 1
FACE MASK SYNE DAY
For as long as ice hockey has been played - since 1855 in North America, and the 16th century in the Netherlands - goalies have been getting their faces smashed by flying hockey pucks.
On this day in 1959, Jacques Plante had had enough! The goalie for the Montreal Canadiens had been hit again and had to have seven more stitches added to his face. This time, however, he returned to the ice wearing a plastic face mask. Plante had made it out of fiberglass and resin. His design was so popular, that goalies throughout the National Hockey League followed suit.
The face mask is now standard issue. Thanks to Jacques Plante, goalies have more teeth and we hardly ever know what they really look like.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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