The Odd History of Goalie Masks

Comments · 571

• CH

  @Chiaomori · 2 years ago

  “my face is my mask.” -gump worsley

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• MU

  @MultiPetercool · 2 years ago (edited)

  I’m 63 years old. Would love to hear the history of goalie pads, gloves and other equipment. As a kid who started with Cooper leather pads stuffed with horsehair and felt, I’m blown away by the new lightweight foam and nylon pads. You could never play Butterfly style with the old gear, it weighed a TON!!!

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• MR

  @MrZics · 2 years ago

  I imagine the biggest improvements on goalie masks in the next 20 years will be the placement of the straps so they don't come off mid game and lighter materials.

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• IL

  @ilikepotatoes1345 · 8 months ago

  Dude, this is incredible. As a medievalist, it's actually very similar to how helms have evolved during the medieval period - gradually making changes over a long period of time to protect the wearer more and countless different styles evolving and branching off as a result. It's interesting how you can also see older styles of hockey masks/head protection carrying on even though superior designs have emerged, but still being preferred despite the fact because that's what some goalies felt more comfortable with - just like knights of the 13th century still rocking simple nasal helms instead of fully enclosed greathelms like many of their contemporaries at the time did.

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• KE

  @KevynKing · 2 years ago

  As someone who's fascinated by the early history of hockey, this is a great! So many of these types of videos just start at Jacques Plante and it's great to see one talking about all the interesting stuff before him.

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• CY

  @Cyge240sx · 2 years ago

  as a catcher in baseball, goalie in hockey and lacrosse (But not really I played Midi and attack mostly). I clicked this video super fast.  We used to use a face mask with a backwards helmet. when I first wore my hockey helmet to a baseball game I was laughed at and one year later every catcher in the country was wearing them :)

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• NE

  @nervchemnitz · 2 years ago (edited)

  As a sports historian (albeit, lacrosse) I absolutely love the outstanding detail and documentation here (showing the newspaper clipppings) of the pre-Clint Benedict instances. I think those weird East German full mask and helmet combos @<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7laAAZFSRHE&amp;t=650">10:50</a> were still in use as late as the late 1980s. Loved all the Jofa combo details with the cage masks of the 1980s-1990s. Again, outstanding detail in this clip.

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• AG

  @agrofindastation · 2 years ago

  The most famous wearer of a hockey mask never even took the ice.

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• TH

  @thebearonhighwayone · 2 years ago

  When I saw this video was 31 minutes long, I was like &quot;Oh no way am I watching that in one sitting!&quot; but it was so well done and flowed so seamlessly that time flew by and here I am 31 minutes later. You have a great talent for making these types of videos. Well done! It was absolutely excellent!

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• JE

  @JesseDiebolt · 2 years ago

  It’s hard to believe there was ever a time where players didn’t wear masks/helmets in hockey.

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• ES

  @estellegrignon · 2 years ago

  I was low-key holding my breath the whole way through when talking about the 80&apos;s, expecting to see the gruesome Clint Malarchuk injury that led many goaltenders to use neck protection! This being said, this is some grade-A professional in-depth research like I&apos;ve never seen on this topic. I fully expect this video to blow up really soon with this much quality

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• DR

  @Dr_Do-Little · 2 years ago

  When I was younger a friend of mine. Who played as goalie in winter and catcher in summer. Said he wished catchers mask took inspiration from the goalies &nbsp;&quot;modern mask&quot;. &nbsp;I thought about him when the modern catcher masks started appearing. <br>Nice that it somehow made full circle. With early goalies using baseball catcher mask of yesteryears to modern hockey giving back to baseball.

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