Catalog of Best Goalie Masks in NHL History

[Olden McGroin]

Curt Ridley

 

[Killion]

.... ^^^ that name, mask brings back memories.... he's also wearing Lange goalie skates, all the rage for awhile.... note the after-market velcro strap around the cuff of his Cooper trapper... keep it from flying off when you caught one, something those catchers did do from time~time. Remember once mine wound up over the glass & into the stands with the puck in it.... crazy.... I didnt even see the shot after it left the guys stick from a good 30' out but he went for it. Psychological phenomena. If you had the angles down, right positioning & crouch with catching arm extended, glove open, you'd be surprised how many shooters despite themselves will absolutely fire the puck right into it. That that glove, not the five hole, stick side blocker or whatever is the target. Amazing. So ya, I can understand why he'd have added that "safety strap".

 

[Robert Gordon Orr]

December 1959 - Emile "The Cat" Francis wearing a mask in the WHL

1960s ca - Young kid wearing a protective mask. Anyone recognize the trapper and stick? Looks like something you could buy from an Eaton's catalogue

 

[Killion]

.... ^^^ Man, thats a tough one... but I suspect its either a Winn~Well or Cooper Weeks Trapper, and pretty darn sure thats a Cooper Weeks Blocker & very much like the one I had over 50yrs ago.... The stick looks to be private label, certainly nothing I recognize, could be maybe "Spalding and something starting with 'G'?..... .... the mask very similar to early Winn~Well models, the kids ear~muffs definitely "after-market add-ons".... and as for the pads they could be Cooper~Weeks, could also be Winn~Wells... possibly even C.C.M. 's... Kids Belly Pad very much old school.... Do you know where that photo was taken & what year?

 

[DowntownBooster]

December 1959 - Emile "The Cat" Francis wearing a mask in the WHL

That one almost looks like an old welders mask.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Not the best, but I liked the simulated Steelers helmet Fleury wore a couple seasons ago (in case it hasn't been mentioned yet)..

 

[Olden McGroin]

Don Simmons, who also experimented with a clear mask:

 

[Olden McGroin]

Yves Belanger

 

[DowntownBooster]

Sune Ödling (Västra Frölunda HC)

 

[DowntownBooster]

Jimmy Howard (Detroit Red Wings)

Petr Mrazek (Detroit Red Wings)

 

[Killion]

Sune Ödling (Västra Frölunda HC)

This ones pretty crazy..... I mean, why bother at all?

 

[DowntownBooster]

Gilles Meloche (California Golden Seals)

 

[Killion]

Gilles Meloche (California Golden Seals)

Memories. Thats the exact same mask-model-design I had, custom-made by Greg Harrison. Meloches' had been painted several times as he moved on to Cleveland, a Team Canada iteration & so on. Originally came in like a bondo-grey, Greg also very handy with an airbrush so if you wanted, he'd paint it any color you'd like, solid or with the flourishes we saw through the mid-70's.

 

[Olden McGroin]

Mike Veisor

 

[DowntownBooster]

I always though that Michel Dion had one of the better looking masks during his career playing for the Indianapolis Racers, Cincinnati Stingers, Quebec Nordiques and Pittsburgh Penguins. However, when I heard that he was going to play for the Winnipeg Jets during the 1980-81 season, I was really looking forward to seeing the mask that he would be wearing for the Jets only to find out that he would be wearing the helmet/cage combination. I was sure disappointed that year and especially afterwards when he went on to play with the Penguins and had one of the best in the league.

 

[Sanf]

I always though that Michel Dion had one of the better looking masks during his career playing for the Indianapolis Racers, Cincinnati Stingers, Quebec Nordiques and Pittsburgh Penguins. However, when I heard that he was going to play for the Winnipeg Jets during the 1980-81 season, I was really looking forward to seeing the mask that he would be wearing for the Jets only to find out that he would be wearing the helmet/cage combination. I was sure disappointed that year and especially afterwards when he went on to play with the Penguins and had one of the best in the league.

I actually got curious about this. Markus Mattsson did the same thing. He played with cateye helmet/cage combo in Jets But after he left there he went back to his old mask. I tend to remember that Gary Smith played his last season with helmet/cage combo. But Veisor and Middlebrook atleast played with old school mask. So apparently it wasn´t "Jets thing".

 

[Killion]

^^ Mike Liut wore one similar... aka the "Duck Bill" but not quite as extreme, as long & wide as Michel Dions'... Interesting bit of trivia.... Dion played semi-pro baseball in the Expos' organization for a couple of years before deciding to pursue pro-hockey exclusively. Won the Ben Hatskin (Top Goalie) Award in the WHA one year so another Winnipeg connection.

 

[Killion]

I actually got curious about this. Markus Mattsson did the same thing. He played with cateye helmet/cage combo in Jets But after he left there he went back to his old mask. I tend to remember that Gary Smith played his last season with helmet/cage combo. But Veisor and Middlebrook atleast played with old school mask. So apparently it wasn´t "Jets thing".

I'm a little surprised they stuck it out, wearing the helmet/cage combo for a season (or multiple games). You'd think you'd either like it, prefer it right off the bat or not. First time I saw one was Tretiak, didnt really take-off until later in the decade, early 80's, kids growing up with them. But Dion.... he grewup in the 50's & 60's, the only "cages" available were baseball catchers masks & ya, they were often used at the entry level by organizations who in some cases, "Boys Clubs", Church Teams, some amateur organizations supplied equipment to goalies, borrowing bits & pieces from their spring/summer baseball programs. Catchers Belly Pads as well.

 

[DowntownBooster]

I actually got curious about this. Markus Mattsson did the same thing. He played with cateye helmet/cage combo in Jets But after he left there he went back to his old mask. I tend to remember that Gary Smith played his last season with helmet/cage combo. But Veisor and Middlebrook atleast played with old school mask. So apparently it wasn´t "Jets thing".

Yes, that is another example Sanf. Gary Smith came to the Jets late in the 1978-79 season and helped Winnipeg win the final Avco Cup prior to the team joining the NHL the following season. Smith was another goalie that always had a cool mask going back to his days with the Vancouver Canucks. The mask he wore when he played for the Jets in the final WHA season was painted navy blue. A picture below shows him during a break in play when he moved the mask to the top of his head and another of the mask itself. I was so looking forward to him wearing that same mask when the Jets would be in their 1st NHL season in 1979-80. Much to my dismay he didn't wear it that next season and instead chose the helmet/cage combination as shown below. It wasn't bad enough that Jets GM John Ferguson changed our uniforms to a clone of that worn by the New York Rangers from 1976 to 1978 when he was their GM, then to add insult to injury, Smith changed to the helmet/cage style mask that I always hated.

 

[RageQuit77]

Urpo Ylönen, Tuto, '60-70s

Sources:
Suomen jääkiekkomuseo: Jääkiekkoleijonat - Urpo Ylönen
Historia - TUTO Hockey

 

[Double]

Markus Mattson got in two games as a member of the 1982-1983 Minnesota North Stars. His mask was from the North Stars Central League affiliate, the Birmingham South Stars.

 

[DowntownBooster]

Joe Daley (Winnipeg Jets). Nothing fancy, no paint job, but always a favorite of mine.

 

[Chief Nine]

Markus Mattson got in two games as a member of the 1982-1983 Minnesota North Stars. His mask was from the North Stars Central League affiliate, the Birmingham South Stars.

View attachment 97937

That's actually kinda frightening!

 

[Killion]

That's actually kinda frightening!

... what, his mask is frightening?

 

[Chief Nine]

... what, his mask is frightening?

Yeah looks pretty intimidating to me Might just be the blurry picture