Jacques Plante
Encyclopedia
Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey
goaltender
. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played for the Montreal Canadiens
from 1953 to 1963; during his tenure, the team won the Stanley Cup
six times, including five consecutive wins.
Plante retired in 1965 but was persuaded to return to the National Hockey League
to play for the expansion St. Louis Blues
in 1968. He was later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
in 1970 and to the Boston Bruins
in 1973. He joined the World Hockey Association
as coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques
in 1973–74. He then played goal for the Edmonton Oilers
in 1974–75, ending his professional career with that team.
Plante was the first NHL goaltender to wear a goaltender mask in regulation play on a regular basis. He developed and tested many versions of the mask (including the forerunner of today's mask/helmet combination) with the assistance of other experts. Plante was the first goaltender to regularly play the puck outside his crease in support of his team's defencemen
, and he often instructed his teammates from behind the play. Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1978, was chosen as the goaltender of the Canadiens' "dream team" in 1985, and was inducted into the Quebec Sports Pantheon in 1994. The Montreal Canadiens retired Plante's jersey, #1, the following year.
Plante was born on a farm near Mont Carmel, in Mauricie
, Quebec, the first of 11 children born to Palma and Xavier Plante. The family moved to Shawinigan Falls
, where his father worked in one of the local factories. In 1932, Plante began to play hockey, skateless and with a tennis ball, using a goaltender's hockey stick his father had carved from a tree root. When he was five years old, Plante fell off a ladder and broke his hand. The fracture failed to heal properly and affected his playing style during his early hockey career; he underwent successful corrective surgery as an adult. Plante suffered from asthma starting in early childhood. This prevented him from skating for extended periods so he gravitated to playing goaltender. As his playing progressed, Jacques received his first regulation goaltender's stick for Christmas
of 1936. His father made Plante's first pads by stuffing potato sacks and reinforcing them with wooden panels. As a child, Plante played hockey outdoors in the bitterly cold Quebec winters. His mother taught him how to knit his own tuque
s to protect him from the cold. Plante continued knitting and embroidering throughout his life and wore his hand-knitted tuques while playing and practicing until entering the National Hockey League (NHL).
Plante's first foray into organized hockey came at age 12. He was watching his school's team practice, when the coach ordered the goaltender off the ice after a heated argument over his play, and Plante asked to replace him. The coach permitted him to play since there was no other available goaltender; it was quickly apparent that Plante could hold his own, despite the other players being many years older than he was. He impressed the coach and stayed on as the team's number one goaltender.
Two years later, Plante was playing for five different teams - the local factory team, and teams in the midget, juvenile, junior and intermediate categories. Plante decided to demand a salary from the factory team's coach after his father told him that the other players were being paid because they were company employees. The coach paid Plante 50 cents per game to retain him and maintain the team's popularity. Afterwards, Plante began to receive various offers from other teams; he was offered $80 per week—a considerable sum in those days—to play for a team in England
, and a similar offer to play for the Providence Reds
of the American Hockey League
. Plante passed them up because his parents wanted him to finish high school. He graduated with top honours in 1947. Upon graduation, he took a job as a clerk in a Shawinigan factory. A few weeks later, the Quebec Citadels offered Plante $85 per week to play for them; he accepted, marking the beginning of his professional career.
His nickname was "Jake the Snake".
' general manager, Frank J. Selke
, became interested in acquiring Plante as a member of the team. In 1948, Plante received an invitation to the Canadiens' training camp. On August 17, 1949, Selke offered Plante a contract with the Canadiens' organization. Plante played for Montreal's affiliate Royal Montreal Hockey Club, earning $4,500 for the season, and an extra $500 for practicing with the Canadiens.
In 1949, he married Jacqueline Gagné; they had two sons, Michel and Richard.
In January 1953, Plante was called up to play for the Canadiens. Bill Durnan
, the goaltender who played for Montreal when Plante first began, had retired, and Gerry McNeil
—their top goaltender—had fractured his jaw. Plante played for three games, but in that short time, he generated controversy. Coach Dick Irvin, Sr.
did not wish his players to stand out by any addition to their regular uniforms. Plante always wore one of his tuques while playing hockey, and after an argument with Irvin, all of Plante's tuques had vanished from the Montreal locker room. Even without his good luck charm, Plante gave up only four goals in the three games he played, all of them wins.
Later during the 1952–53 NHL season, Plante played in the playoffs against the Chicago Black Hawks
. He won his first playoff game with a shutout. Montreal won that series and eventually the Stanley Cup. Plante's name was engraved on the Cup for the first time.
At the beginning of 1953, McNeil was still the starting goaltender for the Canadiens. Selke decided to assign Plante to the Buffalo Bisons
of the AHL
so fans in the United States would get to know him. Plante was instantly successful; Fred Hunt, the general manager of the Bisons, told Kenny Reardon, Montreal's recruiting manager, that, "he's[Plante] the biggest attraction since the good old days of Terry Sawchuk
."
On February 12, 1954, Plante was called up to the Canadiens and established himself as their starting goaltender - he did not return to the minor leagues for many years.
Plante was the Canadiens' number one goaltender at the beginning of the 1954–55 NHL season. On March 13, 1955, with only four games left in the season, an on-ice brawl resulted in the suspension of Montreal's leading scorer, Maurice Richard
, for the rest of the season and the playoffs. Four nights later, playing in Montreal in front of an angry crowd, Plante was witness to the riot
that followed. It began at the Forum
by angry hockey game spectators and spread along Montreal's Ste. Catherine Street, causing injuries to police and fans and extensive damage to businesses and property. The Canadiens subsequently lost to the Detroit Red Wings
in the finals.
For the 1955–56 season, Plante was the unchallenged starting goaltender of the Canadiens; Gerry McNeil
had not played the previous season and was sent to the Montreal Royals. Charlie Hodge, Plante's backup the previous season, was sent to a Canadiens' farm team in Seattle
. Later that season, Montreal won the Stanley Cup—the first of what would be five consecutive Stanley Cup championship seasons. The next season, Plante missed most of November because of chronic bronchitis
, a consequence of the asthma that had affected him since childhood. During the 1957–58 NHL season, the Canadiens won their third straight Stanley Cup despite injuries to Plante and other members of the team. Plante's asthma was getting worse. He sustained a concussion with just a few weeks left in the season and missed three games of the playoffs. In the sixth game of the Stanley Cup finals, Plante's asthma was making him dizzy, and he was having difficulty concentrating; he collapsed at the end of the game after teammate Doug Harvey scored the series-winning goal. The Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup again at the close of the 1958–59 season.
During the 1959–60 NHL season, Plante wore a goaltender mask for the first time in a regular season game. Although Plante had used his mask in practice since 1956 after missing 13 games because of sinusitis
, head coach Toe Blake
did not permit him to wear it during regulation play. However, on November 1, 1959, Plante's nose was broken when he was hit by a shot fired by Andy Bathgate
three minutes into a game against the New York Rangers
, and he was taken to the dressing room for stitches. When he returned, he was wearing the crude home-made goaltender mask that he had been using in practices. Blake was livid, but he had no other goaltender to call upon and Plante refused to return to the goal unless he wore the mask. Blake agreed on the condition that Plante discard the mask when the cut healed. The Canadiens won the game 3–1. During the following days Plante refused to discard the mask, and as the Canadiens continued to win, Blake was less vocal about it. The unbeaten streak stretched to 18 games. Plante did not wear the mask, at Blake's request, against Detroit on March 8, 1960; the Canadiens lost 3–0, and the mask returned for good the next night. That year the Canadiens won their fifth straight Stanley Cup, which was Plante's last.
Plante subsequently designed his own and other goaltenders' masks. He was not the first NHL goaltender known to wear a face mask. Montreal Maroons
' Clint Benedict
wore a crude leather version in 1929 to protect a broken nose, but Plante introduced the mask as everyday equipment, and it is now mandatory equipment for goaltenders
.
- he also won the Vezina Trophy
for the sixth time. The 1962–63 season was unsettling for Plante. His asthma had worsened, and he missed most of the early season. His relationship with his coach, Toe Blake
, continued to deteriorate because of Plante's persistent health problems. Later, Plante was at the center of a major controversy when he claimed that net sizes in the NHL were not uniform, thus giving a statistical advantage to goaltenders playing for the Chicago Black Hawks
, Boston Bruins
, and New York Rangers
. His claim was later confirmed as the result of a manufacturing error.
After the Canadiens were eliminated for the third straight year in the first playoff round during the spring of 1963, there was mounting pressure for change from their fans and media. Growing tension between Plante and Blake because of Plante's inconsistent work ethic and demeanor caused Blake to declare that for the 1963–64 season either he or Plante must go. On June 4, 1963, Plante was traded to the New York Rangers, with Phil Goyette
and Don Marshall
in exchange for Gump Worsley
, Dave Balon
, Leon Rochefort
, and Len Ronson
. Plante played for the Rangers for one full season and part of a second. He retired in 1965 while playing for the minor-league Baltimore Clippers
of the American Hockey League
. His wife was ill at the time, and he required surgery on his right knee.
Upon retirement, Plante took a job with Molson
as a sales representative but remained active in the NHL. In 1965, Scotty Bowman
asked Plante to play for the Montreal Jr. Canadiens in a game against the Soviet National Team. Honoured to represent his country, Plante agreed, and after receiving permission from both the Rangers (who owned his rights) and Molson, he began practicing. The Canadiens won 2–1, and Plante was named first star of the game.
seeking some help coaching the expansion Oakland Seals. Plante coached mainly by example, and after the three week training camp he returned home to Montreal. Rumours swirled that Plante was planning a comeback.
In June 1968, Plante was drafted by the St. Louis Blues
and signed for $35,000 for the 1968–69 season. In his first season with the Blues, Plante split the goaltending duties with Glenn Hall
. He won the Vezina Trophy that season for the seventh time, surpassing Bill Durnan
's record. While playing for the Blues in the 1969–70 playoffs against the Boston Bruins, a shot fired by Fred Stanfield
and redirected by Phil Esposito
hit Plante in the forehead, knocking him out and breaking his fibreglass mask. The first thing Plante said after he regained consciousness at the hospital was that the mask saved his life. That game proved to be his last for the Blues, and he was traded in the summer of 1970 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He led the NHL with the lowest goals against average
(GAA) during his first season with the Maple Leafs. At season's end, he was named to the NHL's second All-Star team, his seventh such honour. He continued to play for the Leafs until he was traded to the Boston Bruins
late in the 1972–73 season, recording a shutout against the Black Hawks in his debut for the Bruins. He played eight regular season and two playoff games for the Bruins to finish that season, his last in the NHL.
Plante accepted a $10 million, 10-year contract to become coach and general manager of the Quebec Nordiques
of the World Hockey Association
in 1973. He was highly dissatisfied with his and the team's performance and resigned at the end of the 1973–74 season. Coming out of retirement once more, Plante played 31 games for the Edmonton Oilers
of the WHA in the 1974–75 season. Plante retired during the Oilers' training camp in 1975–76 after receiving news that his youngest son had died.
of Hockey Night in Canada
fame. Radio Canada
, the French language branch of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, brought Plante aboard as on-air analyst for its television broadcasts of the 1972 Summit Series
between the national team of the Soviet Union
and a Canadian team made up of professional players from the NHL. Plante was one of the few North American analysts who dissented from the widely held belief in the superiority of the Canadian team.
Plante also wrote extensively on hockey. He wrote hockey columns starting early in his career and was published in La Voix de Shawinigan, Le Samedi, and Sport Magazine. He alienated local reporters by writing a column for the local paper during his time as coach of the Quebec Nordiques. His seminal work, Goaltending, was published in 1972 in English, with the French edition (entitled Devant le filet) published in 1973. In his book, Plante outlined a program of goaltender development that included off-ice exercises, choice of equipment, styles of play, and game-day preparation. He also advised on best coaching methods for both young and advanced goaltenders. His book remained popular with coaches and players and was reprinted in both French and English in 1997, 25 years after it was first published.
Starting in 1967, Plante was one of the instructors at École moderne de hockey, a summer hockey school for young players. His reputation as a teacher spread, and he traveled to Sweden
in 1972 at the invitation of the Swedish Hockey Federation, teaching the top goaltenders in the country and their coaches and trainers. During his first and second retirements, Plante also coached goaltenders and consulted for several NHL teams, including the Oakland Seals
, Philadelphia Flyers
, Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues.
with his second wife, Raymonde Udrisard, but remained active on the North American hockey scene as an analyst, adviser and goaltender trainer. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1978. In the fall of 1985, Plante was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer
. He died in a Geneva
hospital in February 1986 and was buried in Sierre
, Switzerland
. When his coffin was carried from the church following the funeral mass, it passed under an arch of hockey sticks held high by a team of young hockey players from Quebec, visiting Switzerland for a tournament.
Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1978, and into the Quebec Sports Pantheon in 1994. His jersey, #1, was retired in 1995 by the Montreal Canadiens. The Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy
was established in his honor as an award to the top goaltender in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
. The Jacques Plante Trophy
was established in Switzerland after Plante's death; it is given out annually to the top Swiss goaltender. The main arena in Shawinigan the town he grew up in, was renamed to Aréna Jacques Plante
.
Plante was selected by Sports Illustrated
magazine to its 1991 all-time All-Star team.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. During a career lasting from 1947–1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
from 1953 to 1963; during his tenure, the team won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
six times, including five consecutive wins.
Plante retired in 1965 but was persuaded to return to the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
to play for the expansion St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in 1968. He was later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1970 and to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in 1973. He joined the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
as coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
in 1973–74. He then played goal for the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in 1974–75, ending his professional career with that team.
Plante was the first NHL goaltender to wear a goaltender mask in regulation play on a regular basis. He developed and tested many versions of the mask (including the forerunner of today's mask/helmet combination) with the assistance of other experts. Plante was the first goaltender to regularly play the puck outside his crease in support of his team's defencemen
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
, and he often instructed his teammates from behind the play. Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1978, was chosen as the goaltender of the Canadiens' "dream team" in 1985, and was inducted into the Quebec Sports Pantheon in 1994. The Montreal Canadiens retired Plante's jersey, #1, the following year.
Early life
Mauricie
Mauricie is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,855.22 km² and a 2006 census population of 258,928 residents...
, Quebec, the first of 11 children born to Palma and Xavier Plante. The family moved to Shawinigan Falls
Shawinigan, Quebec
Shawinigan is a city located on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie area in Quebec, Canada. It has a population of approximately 51,904 people ....
, where his father worked in one of the local factories. In 1932, Plante began to play hockey, skateless and with a tennis ball, using a goaltender's hockey stick his father had carved from a tree root. When he was five years old, Plante fell off a ladder and broke his hand. The fracture failed to heal properly and affected his playing style during his early hockey career; he underwent successful corrective surgery as an adult. Plante suffered from asthma starting in early childhood. This prevented him from skating for extended periods so he gravitated to playing goaltender. As his playing progressed, Jacques received his first regulation goaltender's stick for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
of 1936. His father made Plante's first pads by stuffing potato sacks and reinforcing them with wooden panels. As a child, Plante played hockey outdoors in the bitterly cold Quebec winters. His mother taught him how to knit his own tuque
Tuque
A – variously known as a knit hat or stocking cap among other names – is a knitted cap, originally of wool though now often of synthetic fibers, that is designed to provide warmth in winter...
s to protect him from the cold. Plante continued knitting and embroidering throughout his life and wore his hand-knitted tuques while playing and practicing until entering the National Hockey League (NHL).
Plante's first foray into organized hockey came at age 12. He was watching his school's team practice, when the coach ordered the goaltender off the ice after a heated argument over his play, and Plante asked to replace him. The coach permitted him to play since there was no other available goaltender; it was quickly apparent that Plante could hold his own, despite the other players being many years older than he was. He impressed the coach and stayed on as the team's number one goaltender.
Two years later, Plante was playing for five different teams - the local factory team, and teams in the midget, juvenile, junior and intermediate categories. Plante decided to demand a salary from the factory team's coach after his father told him that the other players were being paid because they were company employees. The coach paid Plante 50 cents per game to retain him and maintain the team's popularity. Afterwards, Plante began to receive various offers from other teams; he was offered $80 per week—a considerable sum in those days—to play for a team in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and a similar offer to play for the Providence Reds
Providence Reds
The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. Plante passed them up because his parents wanted him to finish high school. He graduated with top honours in 1947. Upon graduation, he took a job as a clerk in a Shawinigan factory. A few weeks later, the Quebec Citadels offered Plante $85 per week to play for them; he accepted, marking the beginning of his professional career.
His nickname was "Jake the Snake".
Minor leagues
Jacques joined the Quebec Citadelles in 1947. It was while playing for the Citadelles that Plante started to play the puck outside of his crease. He developed this technique when he recognized that the team's defense was performing poorly. Fans found Plante's unconventional playing style to be exciting, but it angered his managers. They believed that a goaltender should stay in net and let his players recover the puck. Plante had come to the conclusion that as long he was in control of the puck, the opponents could not shoot it at him - this is now standard practice for goaltenders. The same season, the Citadelles beat the Montreal Junior Canadiens in the league finals, with Plante being named most valuable player on his team. The Montreal CanadiensMontreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
' general manager, Frank J. Selke
Frank J. Selke
Francis Joseph Aloysius Selke was a Canadian hockey manager in the National Hockey League. He was a nine-time Stanley Cup champion with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens and a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee....
, became interested in acquiring Plante as a member of the team. In 1948, Plante received an invitation to the Canadiens' training camp. On August 17, 1949, Selke offered Plante a contract with the Canadiens' organization. Plante played for Montreal's affiliate Royal Montreal Hockey Club, earning $4,500 for the season, and an extra $500 for practicing with the Canadiens.
In 1949, he married Jacqueline Gagné; they had two sons, Michel and Richard.
In January 1953, Plante was called up to play for the Canadiens. Bill Durnan
Bill Durnan
William Ronald Durnan was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, the goaltender who played for Montreal when Plante first began, had retired, and Gerry McNeil
Gerry McNeil
Gerald George McNeil is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who won two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s....
—their top goaltender—had fractured his jaw. Plante played for three games, but in that short time, he generated controversy. Coach Dick Irvin, Sr.
Dick Irvin
James Dickinson Irvin, Sr. was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League.Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Irvin was one of the greatest players of his day, balancing a torrid slapshot and tough style with gentlemanly play...
did not wish his players to stand out by any addition to their regular uniforms. Plante always wore one of his tuques while playing hockey, and after an argument with Irvin, all of Plante's tuques had vanished from the Montreal locker room. Even without his good luck charm, Plante gave up only four goals in the three games he played, all of them wins.
Later during the 1952–53 NHL season, Plante played in the playoffs against the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. He won his first playoff game with a shutout. Montreal won that series and eventually the Stanley Cup. Plante's name was engraved on the Cup for the first time.
At the beginning of 1953, McNeil was still the starting goaltender for the Canadiens. Selke decided to assign Plante to the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
so fans in the United States would get to know him. Plante was instantly successful; Fred Hunt, the general manager of the Bisons, told Kenny Reardon, Montreal's recruiting manager, that, "he's
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.-Early life and playing career:Sawchuk was born and raised...
."
Montreal Canadiens
By the end of the 1953–54 NHL season, Plante was well-entrenched within the NHL. In the spring of 1954, he underwent surgery to correct his left hand, which he had broken in his childhood. He could not move the hand well enough to catch high shots and compensated by using the rest of his body. The operation was successful.On February 12, 1954, Plante was called up to the Canadiens and established himself as their starting goaltender - he did not return to the minor leagues for many years.
Plante was the Canadiens' number one goaltender at the beginning of the 1954–55 NHL season. On March 13, 1955, with only four games left in the season, an on-ice brawl resulted in the suspension of Montreal's leading scorer, Maurice Richard
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "the Rocket" Richard, Sr., was a French-Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League from 1942 to 1960. The "Rocket" was the most prolific goal-scorer of his era, the first to achieve the feat of 50 goals in 50...
, for the rest of the season and the playoffs. Four nights later, playing in Montreal in front of an angry crowd, Plante was witness to the riot
Richard Riot
The Richard Riot was a riot on March 17, 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The riot was named after Maurice Richard, the star ice hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League...
that followed. It began at the Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
by angry hockey game spectators and spread along Montreal's Ste. Catherine Street, causing injuries to police and fans and extensive damage to businesses and property. The Canadiens subsequently lost to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the finals.
For the 1955–56 season, Plante was the unchallenged starting goaltender of the Canadiens; Gerry McNeil
Gerry McNeil
Gerald George McNeil is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who won two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s....
had not played the previous season and was sent to the Montreal Royals. Charlie Hodge, Plante's backup the previous season, was sent to a Canadiens' farm team in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Later that season, Montreal won the Stanley Cup—the first of what would be five consecutive Stanley Cup championship seasons. The next season, Plante missed most of November because of chronic bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
, a consequence of the asthma that had affected him since childhood. During the 1957–58 NHL season, the Canadiens won their third straight Stanley Cup despite injuries to Plante and other members of the team. Plante's asthma was getting worse. He sustained a concussion with just a few weeks left in the season and missed three games of the playoffs. In the sixth game of the Stanley Cup finals, Plante's asthma was making him dizzy, and he was having difficulty concentrating; he collapsed at the end of the game after teammate Doug Harvey scored the series-winning goal. The Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup again at the close of the 1958–59 season.
Mask
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may be due to infection, allergy, or autoimmune issues. Most cases are due to a viral infection and resolve over the course of 10 days...
, head coach Toe Blake
Toe Blake
Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...
did not permit him to wear it during regulation play. However, on November 1, 1959, Plante's nose was broken when he was hit by a shot fired by Andy Bathgate
Andy Bathgate
Andrew James Bathgate is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.-Playing career:...
three minutes into a game against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and he was taken to the dressing room for stitches. When he returned, he was wearing the crude home-made goaltender mask that he had been using in practices. Blake was livid, but he had no other goaltender to call upon and Plante refused to return to the goal unless he wore the mask. Blake agreed on the condition that Plante discard the mask when the cut healed. The Canadiens won the game 3–1. During the following days Plante refused to discard the mask, and as the Canadiens continued to win, Blake was less vocal about it. The unbeaten streak stretched to 18 games. Plante did not wear the mask, at Blake's request, against Detroit on March 8, 1960; the Canadiens lost 3–0, and the mask returned for good the next night. That year the Canadiens won their fifth straight Stanley Cup, which was Plante's last.
Plante subsequently designed his own and other goaltenders' masks. He was not the first NHL goaltender known to wear a face mask. Montreal Maroons
Montreal Maroons
The Montreal Maroons was a professional men's ice hockey team in the National Hockey League . They played in the NHL from 1924 to 1938, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 and 1935...
' Clint Benedict
Clint Benedict
Clinton Stevenson "Praying Bennie" Benedict was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Maroons. He played on four Stanley Cup-winning squads. He was the first goaltender in the National Hockey League to wear a face mask...
wore a crude leather version in 1929 to protect a broken nose, but Plante introduced the mask as everyday equipment, and it is now mandatory equipment for goaltenders
Ice hockey goaltending equipment
In ice hockey, the goaltender wears specialized goaltending equipment to protect him or her from the impact of the puck and assist him or her in making saves....
.
Trade to New York and first retirement
Hampered by terrible pain in his left knee during the 1960–61 NHL season, Plante was sent down to the minor league Montreal Royals. Torn cartilage was found in his knee, and the knee was surgically repaired during the summer of 1961. The next season Plante became only the fourth goaltender to win the Hart Memorial TrophyHart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
- he also won the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
for the sixth time. The 1962–63 season was unsettling for Plante. His asthma had worsened, and he missed most of the early season. His relationship with his coach, Toe Blake
Toe Blake
Hector "Toe" Blake, CM was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League .-Nickname:His nickname came out of his childhood for his younger sister was unable to pronounce his name...
, continued to deteriorate because of Plante's persistent health problems. Later, Plante was at the center of a major controversy when he claimed that net sizes in the NHL were not uniform, thus giving a statistical advantage to goaltenders playing for the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. His claim was later confirmed as the result of a manufacturing error.
After the Canadiens were eliminated for the third straight year in the first playoff round during the spring of 1963, there was mounting pressure for change from their fans and media. Growing tension between Plante and Blake because of Plante's inconsistent work ethic and demeanor caused Blake to declare that for the 1963–64 season either he or Plante must go. On June 4, 1963, Plante was traded to the New York Rangers, with Phil Goyette
Phil Goyette
Philippe Joseph Georges Goyette is a retired professional ice hockey centreman who played in the NHL for 16 seasons between 1956 and 1972.-Playing career:...
and Don Marshall
Don Marshall
Donald Robert Marshall is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward. He was born in Verdun, Quebec.Don played in the National Hockey League from 1951 to 1972. During this time, he played for the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens...
in exchange for Gump Worsley
Gump Worsley
Lorne John "Gump" Worsley was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he was given his nickname due to friends deciding he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.-Career:...
, Dave Balon
Dave Balon
David Alexander Balon was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Balon played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1959 and 1973 before multiple sclerosis led to his retirement.-Playing career:...
, Leon Rochefort
Leon Rochefort
Leon Joseph Fernand Rochefort is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centerman who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for seven clubs...
, and Len Ronson
Len Ronson
Leonard Keith Ronson is a retired professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers and Oakland Seals.-Playing career:-External links:...
. Plante played for the Rangers for one full season and part of a second. He retired in 1965 while playing for the minor-league Baltimore Clippers
Baltimore Clippers
The Baltimore Clippers were an American ice hockey team. They were the first of three Baltimore entries into the American Hockey League, who played from 1962–76...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. His wife was ill at the time, and he required surgery on his right knee.
Upon retirement, Plante took a job with Molson
Molson
Molson-Coors Canada Inc. is the Canadian division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Molson Coors Brewing Company. It is the second oldest company in Canada after the Hudson's Bay Company. Molson's first brewery was located on the St...
as a sales representative but remained active in the NHL. In 1965, Scotty Bowman
Scotty Bowman
William Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
asked Plante to play for the Montreal Jr. Canadiens in a game against the Soviet National Team. Honoured to represent his country, Plante agreed, and after receiving permission from both the Rangers (who owned his rights) and Molson, he began practicing. The Canadiens won 2–1, and Plante was named first star of the game.
Comeback to professional hockey
At the beginning of the 1967–68 NHL season, Plante received a call from his ex-teammate Bert OlmsteadBert Olmstead
Murray Albert Olmstead is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . Olmstead began his career with the Black Hawks in 1949. In December 1950, he was traded to the...
seeking some help coaching the expansion Oakland Seals. Plante coached mainly by example, and after the three week training camp he returned home to Montreal. Rumours swirled that Plante was planning a comeback.
In June 1968, Plante was drafted by the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
and signed for $35,000 for the 1968–69 season. In his first season with the Blues, Plante split the goaltending duties with Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall
Glenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the...
. He won the Vezina Trophy that season for the seventh time, surpassing Bill Durnan
Bill Durnan
William Ronald Durnan was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
's record. While playing for the Blues in the 1969–70 playoffs against the Boston Bruins, a shot fired by Fred Stanfield
Fred Stanfield
Frederic William Stanfield is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1964 until 1978.Stanfield played 914 career NHL games, scoring 211 goals and 405 assists for 616 points...
and redirected by Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
hit Plante in the forehead, knocking him out and breaking his fibreglass mask. The first thing Plante said after he regained consciousness at the hospital was that the mask saved his life. That game proved to be his last for the Blues, and he was traded in the summer of 1970 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He led the NHL with the lowest goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
(GAA) during his first season with the Maple Leafs. At season's end, he was named to the NHL's second All-Star team, his seventh such honour. He continued to play for the Leafs until he was traded to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
late in the 1972–73 season, recording a shutout against the Black Hawks in his debut for the Bruins. He played eight regular season and two playoff games for the Bruins to finish that season, his last in the NHL.
Plante accepted a $10 million, 10-year contract to become coach and general manager of the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
in 1973. He was highly dissatisfied with his and the team's performance and resigned at the end of the 1973–74 season. Coming out of retirement once more, Plante played 31 games for the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
of the WHA in the 1974–75 season. Plante retired during the Oilers' training camp in 1975–76 after receiving news that his youngest son had died.
Hockey analysis and coaching
Plante had a well-earned reputation for his ability to analyse the game of hockey. He began shouting directions to his teammates during games in his first stint in the minor leagues (the goaltender usually has the best view of the game). He kept extensive notes on opposing players and teams throughout his career. He made his debut in the broadcasting booth during his first retirement in the 1960s as a colour commentator for broadcasts of Quebec Junior League games alongside Danny GallivanDanny Gallivan
Danny Gallivan was a Canadian radio and television broadcaster and sportscaster.-Early life and career:Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Gallivan began his broadcast career at a local radio station in Antigonish, Nova Scotia while attending St. Francis Xavier University...
of Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
fame. Radio Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
, the French language branch of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, brought Plante aboard as on-air analyst for its television broadcasts of the 1972 Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
between the national team of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and a Canadian team made up of professional players from the NHL. Plante was one of the few North American analysts who dissented from the widely held belief in the superiority of the Canadian team.
Plante also wrote extensively on hockey. He wrote hockey columns starting early in his career and was published in La Voix de Shawinigan, Le Samedi, and Sport Magazine. He alienated local reporters by writing a column for the local paper during his time as coach of the Quebec Nordiques. His seminal work, Goaltending, was published in 1972 in English, with the French edition (entitled Devant le filet) published in 1973. In his book, Plante outlined a program of goaltender development that included off-ice exercises, choice of equipment, styles of play, and game-day preparation. He also advised on best coaching methods for both young and advanced goaltenders. His book remained popular with coaches and players and was reprinted in both French and English in 1997, 25 years after it was first published.
Starting in 1967, Plante was one of the instructors at École moderne de hockey, a summer hockey school for young players. His reputation as a teacher spread, and he traveled to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1972 at the invitation of the Swedish Hockey Federation, teaching the top goaltenders in the country and their coaches and trainers. During his first and second retirements, Plante also coached goaltenders and consulted for several NHL teams, including the Oakland Seals
California Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues.
Retirement and death
Plante finally retired from hockey in 1975, after the death of his youngest son. He moved to SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
with his second wife, Raymonde Udrisard, but remained active on the North American hockey scene as an analyst, adviser and goaltender trainer. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1978. In the fall of 1985, Plante was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
. He died in a Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
hospital in February 1986 and was buried in Sierre
Sierre
Sierre is the capital of the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of 14,355.It is situated on the French–German language border of the canton of Wallis...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. When his coffin was carried from the church following the funeral mass, it passed under an arch of hockey sticks held high by a team of young hockey players from Quebec, visiting Switzerland for a tournament.
Legacy
Plante was one of the first goaltenders to skate behind the net to stop the puck. He also was one of the first to raise his arm on an icing call to let his defencemen know what was happening. He perfected a stand-up, positional style, cutting down the angles; he became one of the first goaltenders to write a how-to book about the position. He was a pioneer of stickhandling the puck; before that time, goaltenders passively stood in the net and simply deflected pucks to defencemen or backchecking forwards.Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1978, and into the Quebec Sports Pantheon in 1994. His jersey, #1, was retired in 1995 by the Montreal Canadiens. The Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy
Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy
The Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the goaltender in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the best goals-against average. It is named for Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Jacques Plante.-Winners:-External links:...
was established in his honor as an award to the top goaltender in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
. The Jacques Plante Trophy
Jacques Plante Trophy
The Jacques Plante Trophy is awarded annually to the best ice hockey goalkeeper in Switzerland as voted on by a jury consisting of the captains and the coaches of the teams in the Nationalliga A. The Jacques Plante Trophy was donated in 1986 by legendary Canadian goaltender Jacques Plante's widow...
was established in Switzerland after Plante's death; it is given out annually to the top Swiss goaltender. The main arena in Shawinigan the town he grew up in, was renamed to Aréna Jacques Plante
Aréna Jacques Plante
The Arena Jacques Plante is a 2,524-seat multi-purpose arena in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. It was built in 1937. It was home to the Shawinigan Cataractes Ice hockey team. The arena is named in honour of Jacques Plante; formerly, the building was known as the Shawinigan Municipal Auditorium...
.
Plante was selected by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine to its 1991 all-time All-Star team.
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–48 | Montreal Royals | QSHL Quebec Senior Hockey League The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 120 | 5 | 0 | 2.50 |
| 1947–48 | Quebec Citadelles Quebec Citadelles The Quebec Citadelles were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada at the Colisée Pepsi... |
QSHL | 31 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 1840 | 87 | 2 | 2.84 |
| 1948–49 | Quebec Citadelles | QSHL | 64 | 42 | 12 | 10 | 3840 | 119 | 7 | 1.86 |
| 1949–50 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 58 | 27 | 22 | 9 | 3480 | 180 | 0 | 3.10 |
| 1950–51 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 60 | 28 | 29 | 3 | 3670 | 201 | 4 | 3.29 |
| 1951–52 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 60 | 30 | 24 | 6 | 3560 | 201 | 4 | 3.39 |
| 1952–53 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 29 | 20 | 8 | 1 | 1760 | 61 | 4 | 2.08 |
| 1952–53 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 180 | 4 | 0 | 1.33 |
| 1952–53 1952–53 AHL season The 1952–53 AHL season was the 17th season of the American Hockey League. The league loses two teams, bringing an end to East & West Divisions. The F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy is now awarded to the regular season champions. Seven teams played 64 games each in the schedule... |
Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Bisons (AHL) The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
33 | 13 | 19 | 1 | 2000 | 114 | 2 | 3.42 |
| 1953–54 1953–54 AHL season The 1953–54 AHL season was the 18th season of the American Hockey League. Six teams played 70 games each in the schedule. The Cleveland Barons won their seventh Calder Cup championship.-Final standings:... |
Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 55 | 32 | 17 | 6 | 3370 | 148 | 3 | 2.64 |
| 1953–54 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1020 | 27 | 5 | 1.59 |
| 1954–55 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 52 | 31 | 13 | 7 | 3080 | 110 | 5 | 2.14 |
| 1955–56 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 64 | 42 | 12 | 10 | 3840 | 119 | 7 | 1.86 |
| 1956–57 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 61 | 31 | 18 | 12 | 3660 | 123 | 9 | 2.02 |
| 1957–58 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 57 | 34 | 14 | 8 | 3386 | 119 | 9 | 2.11 |
| 1958–59 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 67 | 38 | 16 | 13 | 4000 | 144 | 9 | 2.16 |
| 1959–60 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 69 | 40 | 17 | 12 | 4140 | 175 | 3 | 2.54 |
| 1960–61 | Montreal Royals | EPHL | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 480 | 24 | 0 | 3.00 |
| 1960–61 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 40 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 2400 | 112 | 2 | 2.80 |
| 1961–62 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 42 | 14 | 14 | 4200 | 166 | 4 | 2.37 |
| 1962–63 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 56 | 22 | 14 | 19 | 3320 | 138 | 5 | 2.49 |
| 1963–64 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 65 | 22 | 36 | 7 | 3900 | 220 | 3 | 3.38 |
| 1964–65 | New York Rangers | NHL | 33 | 10 | 17 | 5 | 1938 | 109 | 2 | 3.37 |
| 1964–65 1964–65 AHL season The 1964–65 AHL season was the 29th season of the American Hockey League. The league inaugurates the James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding media coverage of the AHL.Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule... |
Baltimore Clippers Baltimore Clippers The Baltimore Clippers were an American ice hockey team. They were the first of three Baltimore entries into the American Hockey League, who played from 1962–76... |
AHL | 17 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1018 | 51 | 1 | 3.01 |
| 1968–69 | St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
NHL | 37 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 2139 | 70 | 5 | 1.96 |
| 1969–70 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 32 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 1839 | 67 | 5 | 2.19 |
| 1970–71 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 40 | 24 | 11 | 4 | 2329 | 73 | 4 | 1.88 |
| 1971–72 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 34 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 1965 | 86 | 2 | 2.63 |
| 1972–73 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 32 | 8 | 14 | 6 | 1717 | 87 | 1 | 3.04 |
| 1972–73 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 480 | 16 | 2 | 2.00 |
| 1974–75 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
31 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 1592 | 88 | 1 | 3.32 |
| NHL career totals | 837 | 434 | 247 | 146 | 49533 | 1965 | 82 | 2.38 | ||
| WHA career totals | 31 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 1592 | 88 | 1 | 3.32 | ||
Post season
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–48 | Quebec Citadelles | QJHL | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 545 | 28 | 2 | 3.08 |
| 1948–49 | Quebec Citadelles | QJHL | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 790 | 43 | 0 | 3.27 |
| 1949–50 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 360 | 20 | 0 | 3.00 |
| 1950–51 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 420 | 26 | 1 | 3.71 |
| 1951–52 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 420 | 21 | 1 | 3.00 |
| 1952–53 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 240 | 7 | 1 | 1.75 |
| 1953–54 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 480 | 15 | 2 | 1.88 |
| 1954–55 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 12 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 640 | 30 | 0 | 2.81 |
| 1955–56 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 600 | 18 | 2 | 1.80 |
| 1956–57 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 616 | 18 | 1 | 1.75 |
| 1957–58 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 618 | 20 | 1 | 1.94 |
| 1958–59 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 670 | 28 | 0 | 2.51 |
| 1959–60 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 489 | 11 | 3 | 1.35 |
| 1960–61 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 412 | 16 | 0 | 2.33 |
| 1961–62 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 360 | 19 | 0 | 3.17 |
| 1962–63 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 300 | 14 | 0 | 2.80 |
| 1964–65 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 315 | 14 | 1 | 2.67 |
| 1968–69 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 589 | 14 | 3 | 1.43 |
| 1969–70 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 324 | 8 | 1 | 1.48 |
| 1970–71 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 134 | 7 | 0 | 3.13 |
| 1971–72 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 |
| 1972–73 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 120 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 |
| NHL career totals | 112 | 71 | 37 | 0 | 6652 | 240 | 14 | 2.16 | ||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Vezina Trophy Vezina Trophy The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team... |
1956 |
| Selected to National Hockey League First All-Star Team | 1956 |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game National Hockey League All-Star Game The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other... |
1956 |
| Vezina Trophy | 1957 |
| Selected to National Hockey League Second All-Star Team | 1957 |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game | 1957 11th National Hockey League All-Star Game The Eleventh National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at the Montreal Forum, home of the Montreal Canadiens, on October 5, 1957. The Canadiens, winner of the 1957 Stanley Cup Finals, played a team of All-Stars for the second consecutive year, with the All-Stars winning by a 5–3... |
| Vezina Trophy | 1958 |
| Selected to National Hockey League All-Star Second Team | 1958 |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game | 1958 12th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 12th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at the Montreal Forum on October 4, 1958. The hometown Montreal Canadiens defeated the NHL All-Stars 6–3.-Richard Brother's Lead Canadiens to Victory:... |
| Vezina Trophy | 1959 |
| Selected to National Hockey League All-Star First Team | 1959 |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game | 1959 13th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 13th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at the Montreal Forum on October 3, 1959, which saw the hometown Montreal Canadiens defeat the NHL all-stars 6–1.- Contracts and eligibility :... |
| Vezina Trophy | 1960 |
| Selected to National Hockey League All-Star Second Team | 1960 |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game | 1960 14th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 14th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at the Montreal Forum on October 1, 1960, which saw the NHL all-stars defeat the hometown Montreal Canadiens 2–1.- A Farewell to the Rocket :... |
| Hart Memorial Trophy Hart Memorial Trophy The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different... |
1962 |
| Vezina Trophy | 1962 |
| Selected to National Hockey League All-Star First Team | 1962 |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game | 1962 15th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 15th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at Chicago Stadium on October 7, 1961. The NHL All-Stars defeated the hometown Chicago Black Hawks 3–1.- Red Wing Line Leads Stars to Victory :... |
| Shared (with Glenn Hall Glenn Hall Glenn Henry "Mr. Goalie" Hall is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, and St. Louis Blues, Hall seldom missed a game and was a consistent performer, winning the Vezina Trophy three times, and the... ) Vezina Trophy |
1969 1968-69 NHL season -NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:... |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game | 1969 |
| Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game | 1970 |
| Selected to National Hockey League All-Star Second Team | 1971 |
| Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup... |
1978 |
| Selected to the Canada Sports Hall of Fame | 1981 |
See also
- Goaltender mask
- History of the National Hockey League (1942–1967)History of the National Hockey League (1942–1967)The Original Six era of the National Hockey League began in 1942 with the demise of the Brooklyn Americans, reducing the NHL to six teams. The NHL, comprising the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, remained stable...
- History of the Montreal CanadiensHistory of the Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club, formally , was founded on December 4, 1909. It is the oldest professional hockey franchise in the world, and one of the four founding teams of the National Hockey League . The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times: once while part of the National Hockey...
- Terry SawchukTerry SawchukTerrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.-Early life and playing career:Sawchuk was born and raised...