Goaltender mask A goaltender mask , commonly referred to as a goalie mask or a hockey mask , is a mask worn by ice hockey , inline hockey , and field hockey goaltender s to protect the head from injury . Jacques Plante was the first goaltender to create and use a practical mask in 1959 . Plante ' s mask was a piece of fiberglass that was contoured to his face . This mask later evolved into a helmet / cage combination , and single piece full fiberglass mask . Today , the full fiberglass mask is the more popular option because it is safer . History . The first goaltender mask was a fiberglass fencing mask donned in February 1927 by Queen ' s University netminder Elizabeth Graham , mainly to protect her teeth . In 1930 , the first crude leather model of a mask ( actually an American football " nose - guard " ) was worn by Clint Benedict to protect his broken nose . After recovering from the injury , he abandoned the mask , never wearing one again in his career . At the 1936 Winter Olympics , Teiji Honma wore a crude mask , similar to the one worn by baseball catchers . The mask was made of leather , and had a wire cage which protected the face , as well as Honma ' s large circular glasses . It was not until 1959 that a goaltender wore a mask full - time . On November 1 , 1959 , in a game between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante was struck in the face by a shot from Andy Bathgate . Plante had previously worn his mask in practice , but coach Toe Blake refused to permit him to wear it in a game , fearing it would inhibit his vision . After being stitched up , Plante gave Blake an ultimatum , refusing to go back out onto the ice without the mask , to which Blake obliged not wanting to forfeit the game since NHL teams did not carry back - up goaltenders . Plante went on a long unbeaten streak wearing the mask , which stopped when he was asked to remove it for a game . He donned the mask for the rest of his career after . When Plante introduced the mask into the game , many questioned his dedication and bravery ; in response , Plante made an analogy to a person skydiving without a parachute . Although Plante faced some laughter , the fiberglass goaltender mask soon became the standard and a symbol of the game as typified by the famous painting " At The Crease , " by Ken Danby . This style of mask is no longer used by hockey leagues , yet its fame continues because of its use by horror movie icon Jason Voorhees of the " Friday the 13th " film series . Casey Jones of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise also wears a stylized version of the mask , as did D - Roc the Executioner , the late guitarist of the heavy metal band Body Count . Since the invention of the fiberglass hockey mask , professional goaltenders no longer play without a mask . The last goaltender to play without a mask was Andy Brown , who played his last NHL game in 1974 . The goaltender mask evolved further from the original face - hugging fiberglass mask designed by Plante . In the 1970s , a helmet / cage combination became popular , which was popularized by Vladislav Tretiak , the noted Russian goaltender who competed against Canada in the 1972 Summit Series . Like the original fiberglass design , the helmet / cage combination has been criticized for not providing adequate facial / cranial protection . Dan Cloutier switched from this type of mask to the widely more popular full fiberglass citing safety reasons upon the advice of the Los Angeles Kings . Dominik Hašek , a Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy - winner in the late 1990s used this type of mask ; Hašek retired from the NHL in 2008 . Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders , is one of the last NHL goalies to use this type of mask . Goalies at lower levels of hockey ( such as high - school , college , or recreational leagues ) who choose to use this design cite reasons such as the plastic helmet used is lighter than the fiberglass or composite materials used in other designs , and that the helmet has a wider opening than a traditional mask for a less claustrophobic feeling and better sight of the puck . The second type of goaltender mask is a fiberglass mask with a cage attached in the middle . It can also be made out of carbon fiber , or a fiberglass and kevlar mix . These masks are able to better withstand the impacts of hockey puck at higher speeds and are used at all levels of organized ice hockey . These masks are considered safer since they disperse the impact of the puck better than the helmet / cage combination . Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins wears a newer style one piece called a Sportmask Mage RS , made like the newer fiberglass mask , but resembles the helmet / cage combination . Tactical play . The advent of the goaltender mask changed the way goaltenders play , allowing them to make more saves on their knees without fear of serious head or facial injuries . Before the advent of the mask , most goaltenders stayed standing as much as possible . In the modern era , a goaltender is likely to make the majority of saves when he has one or both knees on the ice . With the technological advancement of the mask , shots hitting the head cause more temporary discomfort instead of serious concussions and lacerations ; however , a mask does not guarantee avoiding injury , and goaltenders have been concussed by a shot hitting the head . Some goaltenders , like Dominik Hasek and Henrik Lundqvist , have used their heads intentionally to stop shots . Lundqvist said that his reason for this is to not obstruct his vision by placing his catching glove in front of his mask to stop the shot . Mask decoration . With the available surface area provided by fiberglass masks , goaltenders find it fashionable to give their mask distinctive decorations . This tradition started with the earliest masks , notably by the now - retired Boston Bruins goalkeeper Gerry Cheevers , who was known for drawing stitches on his mask whenever it got hit . These stitches represented where Cheevers would have been cut had he not been wearing his mask . Modern - day masks also offer this ability , and goaltenders are well - identified with their helmet design , often transferring the motif into their new team ' s colors when traded or signed to a new team ( for example , Patrick Lalime ' s Marvin the Martian theme , Felix Potvin ' s cat theme , Curtis Joseph ' s Cujo theme , or Ed Belfour ' s eagle theme ) . Historical Samples . Below is the mask that Clint Benedict used in 1930 . The photo to the right is a close up of Gerry Cheevers iconic " stitches " mask .