<P> 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 have back - up goaltenders at the time . Plante went on a long unbeaten streak wearing the mask , which stopped when he was asked to remove it for a game . After that particular loss , Plante resumed donning the mask for the remainder of his career . 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 face - hugging fiberglass goaltender mask soon became the standard . </P>
<P> 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 have back - up goaltenders at the time . Plante went on a long unbeaten streak wearing the mask , which stopped when he was asked to remove it for a game . After that particular loss , Plante resumed donning the mask for the remainder of his career . 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 face - hugging fiberglass goaltender mask soon became the standard . </P>
who was the first nhl goalie to wear a mask
who was the first nhl goalie to wear a mask
Jacques Plante
Jacques Plante