1965-66 NHL Season Preview
- Thread starter Canadiens1958
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Killion
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- Feb 19, 2010
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An interesting season... that was Ed Giacomin & Cesare Maniago's first full seasons in the NHL & I remember them being hyped coming off All Star performances the previous year in the minors. Giacomin played well enough but was a tad spotty, giving way to Maniago however the next year Giacomin really took the Bull by the Horns with Maniago sitting for most of the schedule, Rangers finally making the Playoffs. Maniago was grabbed by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft & for the next 9yrs...... while Giacomin in NY a perrenial or close to All Star. Excellent goaltenders both.
Canadiens1958
Registered User
The Mask
Touching on the impact of the mask and goalie development arcs.
Maniago and Giacomin were in the group of goalies who learned the position maskless through youth hockey then had to choose to continue maskless or adapt at the pro or NHL level.
Uneven performances followed.
Touching on the impact of the mask and goalie development arcs.
Maniago and Giacomin were in the group of goalies who learned the position maskless through youth hockey then had to choose to continue maskless or adapt at the pro or NHL level.
Uneven performances followed.
Killion
Registered User
- Feb 19, 2010
- 36,763
- 3,215
Im not exactly sure when Maniago first donned a mask but it was most definitely in Minnesota at some point either late in his first year or perhaps in 68/69, maybe 69/70 but I suspect 68 as the earliest photo of him in one is with a Lefty Wilson model. By 69/70 there were other options, the Wilson model generally being discarded, passed up in favor of custom jobs including by then the Plante masks.... Giacomin was one of the last to wear a mask, first trying a Plante in 1970 in practices & games but shunning it full time as he found it inhibited his vision & sightlines, though eventually by 70/71 on wearing an early Greg Harrison model.
Ed Giacomon's route to the NHL was beyond circuitous to say the least, an older brother named Rollie who was rated above him, and in fact Eddie invited to a Red Wings Junior Camp in the early 50's told he'd never make it, just wasnt good enough. First pro contract was as a Practice Goalie & Assistant Trainer deep in the minors... Maniago on the other hand came from Trail BC where another local by the name of Seth Martin played much of his best hockey. Spotted by the Leafs, sent to St.Mikes. Wound up behind Bower in the depth charts playing 7 games in 60-61 & being selected 1st Star of the Game on at least one occasion, performing very well. Grabbed by Montreal in 61/62's Intra League Draft but again, good luck displacing Plante though he did get in quite a few games when Jacques got injured one season, though spent most of his time in the minors where he played quite brilliantly....
Both of these guys were throwback hybrids who did re-invent their games to some extent, both "wanderers" with excellent skating skills, great with their sticks both saving & taking shots with them. Maniago extremely quick down low for so large a man which was at the time rather unusual. A sort of early Dryden when at his very best. Both of these guys were totally fearless & lead with their faces in scrambles, totally confident in their abilities to either dodge or deflect head shots, a puck to the face not even something most of the Old School guys ever really worried about, dwelled upon. You just didnt. Wasnt so much stupidity or hubris as it was simply something you were brought up with. Players as well playing by The Code until the rise of the Slapshot (many of them beyond wild) through the 60's, and the only way to handle that was to aggressively cut down the angle in moving well outside of the crease towards the shooters. Mask pretty much required. Particularly so post 67/68 Expansion when the shooting galleries became a lot more woolly with Banana Bladed Maniacs & career minor leaguers blasting wild, a lot more crease traffic, sticks out of control etc.
Ed Giacomon's route to the NHL was beyond circuitous to say the least, an older brother named Rollie who was rated above him, and in fact Eddie invited to a Red Wings Junior Camp in the early 50's told he'd never make it, just wasnt good enough. First pro contract was as a Practice Goalie & Assistant Trainer deep in the minors... Maniago on the other hand came from Trail BC where another local by the name of Seth Martin played much of his best hockey. Spotted by the Leafs, sent to St.Mikes. Wound up behind Bower in the depth charts playing 7 games in 60-61 & being selected 1st Star of the Game on at least one occasion, performing very well. Grabbed by Montreal in 61/62's Intra League Draft but again, good luck displacing Plante though he did get in quite a few games when Jacques got injured one season, though spent most of his time in the minors where he played quite brilliantly....
Both of these guys were throwback hybrids who did re-invent their games to some extent, both "wanderers" with excellent skating skills, great with their sticks both saving & taking shots with them. Maniago extremely quick down low for so large a man which was at the time rather unusual. A sort of early Dryden when at his very best. Both of these guys were totally fearless & lead with their faces in scrambles, totally confident in their abilities to either dodge or deflect head shots, a puck to the face not even something most of the Old School guys ever really worried about, dwelled upon. You just didnt. Wasnt so much stupidity or hubris as it was simply something you were brought up with. Players as well playing by The Code until the rise of the Slapshot (many of them beyond wild) through the 60's, and the only way to handle that was to aggressively cut down the angle in moving well outside of the crease towards the shooters. Mask pretty much required. Particularly so post 67/68 Expansion when the shooting galleries became a lot more woolly with Banana Bladed Maniacs & career minor leaguers blasting wild, a lot more crease traffic, sticks out of control etc.
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