Was Giacomin's Wearing His First Mask a Tribute To Terry Sawchuk?

[puckhead103*]

i guess everyone who followed eddie giacomin's career and is familiar with his trademark mask...(pic below)

but in the start of the 1970-71 season, the second link below was not his first mask...

here is this "new" pic the giacomin first mask, circa late 1970...

the "first" giacomin's mask appears to have a sawchuk like influence...i am wondering if giacomin wore that mask as some type of a remembrance tribute to his former goalie teammate, the late terry sawchuk, who had passed away that same year...

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[Scott1980]

i guess everyone who followed eddie giacomin's career and is familiar with his trademark mask...(pic below)

but in the start of the 1970-71 season, the second link below was not his first mask...

here is this "new" pic the giacomin first mask, circa late 1970...

the "first" giacomin's mask appears to have a sawchuk like influence...i am wondering if giacomin wore that mask as some type of a remembrance tribute to his former goalie teammate, the late terry sawchuk, who had passed away that same year...

Come to think of it, didn't Gerry Desjardins wear one that was like Sawchuk's?

 

[Killion]

the "first" giacomin's mask appears to have a sawchuk like influence...i am wondering if giacomin wore that mask as some type of a remembrance tribute to his former goalie teammate, the late terry sawchuk, who had passed away that same year...

Not to my knowledge & probably far more mundane. In the earlier days of mask making, Asst Equipment Mgr Lefty Wilson of Detroit made masks' for lots of goalies. 5 sheets of fiberglass, costing about $35, all the same "Sawchuk Style". Ceasar Maniago, dozens of minor leaguer's & major juniors, NHL'ers using them. The 2nd mask is an earlier Ernie Higgins creation, who made custom masks for hundreds of goalies from the late 60's through the 70's & early 80's, which at that time would run you about $200. Greg Harrison out of Toronto was another mask maker who often copied the Higgins Style of masks, however, his masks covered the entire forehead past the hairline unlike the Higgins model sported by Eddie.

 

[lovetherangers]

Like stated above, certan makers masks stylistically looked the same.

 

[Mr Atoz*]

Masks were so primitive in those days that many looked the same. None of us had ever seen a cage mask until the russians came over in 1972. Eddie wore the abbreviated mask because the early wraparound masks like Doug Favell's were hot as hell. It was no fun wearing the form fitting masks. You couldn't see and you couldn't breathe.

 

[Killion]

Masks were so primitive in those days that many looked the same. None of us had ever seen a cage mask until the russians came over in 1972. Eddie wore the abbreviated mask because the early wraparound masks like Doug Favell's were hot as hell. It was no fun wearing the form fitting masks. You couldn't see and you couldn't breathe.

Much depended on where you played at the amateur levels as per early masks. Both Cooper-Weekes' (later Cooper) & D&R did in fact make a "Cage" and then "BirdCage" masks in the early 50's-60's, and I recall Birdcages from about 64 onwards. Most were similar to a baseball catchers masks initially & were often mandatory equipment with amateur & school leagues. At about the same time their was a clear high-density plastic shield introduced, similar to a Welders Mask, with guys like Bower & Worsley trying them out in practice and throughout the amateur ranks. They fogged up so badly that they were actually more of a danger than not wearing a mask at all because you couldnt see a bloody thing after about 5 minutes. ......The "Pretzel" mask replaced Plantes' original form fitted model as that first mask he wore was also almost worse than no mask, distributing & magnifying the pucks impact all over the face as opposed to just one area. Lefty Wilson made Sawchuks first mask as he'd received a shot to the mouth & nose that knocked out most of his teeth & needed over 200 stitiches to close. Thereafter, Higgins etc followed suit with better materials & customization. I only ever played with custom masks though I did once try a Birdcage & didnt like it as I found the bars did infact create blind spots, especially when looking down or when shots were coming in fast at close range. ......With the custom form fitting mask, no blindspots & no problems breathing through nose or mouth; however, fiberglass doesnt allow the head to breathe & as a result you'd wind up sweating buckets every game. Equipment got wet, totally soaked, inside & out as your head wasnt getting the oxygen required to cool the body. The other problem apparently was safety, though I never quite understood why they were banned. I got nailed, lots, and though it shook & bruised you a bit, no serious damage to face or mask.

 

[DJ Man]

In my goaltending days, I had one of those Friday-the-13th solid plastic models. It was hot, even outdoors on a frozen field. Teammates were fascinated by the cloud of steam that surrounded my head if I took the mask off during a time-out.

(I had worn a catcher's mask prior to that. It was cooler, but it wasn't cool, if you know what I mean.)