Goalie mask
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A goalie mask is a mask worn by an ice or field hockey goaltender to protect the head from injury.
The first mask was a crude leather model worn by Clint Benedict in the 1920s to protect his broken nose. 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. Although he faced some derision, Plante's fiberglass mask soon became the standard and a symbol of the game. This style of mask is no longer used by hockey leagues; yet its fame continues due to its continued use by horror icon Jason Voorhees.
Two kinds of goalie masks are currently in use. The first one is a simple helmet/cage combination, but it is not generally popular as there is perception by some that this type of mask cannot fully absorb high-speed slapshots (despite criticisms, the mask configuration is currently being used by Dominik Hasek, Chris Osgood, and Tim Thomas in the NHL). The second one is a fiberglass mask with a cage attached in the middle. 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 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. Due to the available surface area provided by fiberglass masks, goalies found 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. The fiberglass helmets used in the helmet/cage combo masks also offer this advantage. These days, a goalie becomes known more for their mask decoration than anything else, often transferring the motif into their new team's colors when traded or signed to a new team.
With this type of mask three styles of cages are currently in use.
- Standard cage - similar to the kind used on the simple helmet above.
- Cat-Eye cage - improves visabilty by using angled wires, and a straight one down the middle, comes in two types
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- Certified - meets certification standards set by the HECC CSA and CE and are approved for minor and youth league use. Contains more wires than uncertified goalie masks.
- Uncertified - does not meet one or all of the safety standards. typically holes are big enough for a stick to go through.
- Ringette cage - uses diagonal wiring vertically (like a chain link fence) and straight horizontal wiring to create a ring effect. These are equally as safe as the standard type and thus are usually certified.
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 (or she) has one or both knees on the ice.The world leader in Ice hockey masks is Mission-Itech
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.
