Solving The Mystery Of Jacques Plante's Mask At The Garden

The Maven was there at The Old Garden on the night of November 1, 1959 when Montreal goalie Jacques Plante donned a mask for the first time.

It happened in the first period of the Habs-Rangers game when an Andy Bathgate backhander hit the unmasked Plante right in the noggin, smashing his face amid much bloodletting,

That's what everyone saw but when the 15,000 customers did not see was what transpired in the Montreal dressing room.

Plante told coach Toe Blake he would not return to the ice unless he could wear the mask. But Blake hated the mask and said, "No mask. Period!"

There was a stalemate while MSG's house goalie Joe Schaefer began donning his pads in the event that Plante would not return to the game.

Plante was adamant about donning the face protector and Blake just as stubborn about him not doing it.

Finally Joe Schaefer was almost through putting on his equipment and donned the Canadiens jersey.

Blake did a double-take. "Toe couldn't bear the idea of a Beer League goalie going into the Canadiens net," said Montreal writer Claude Larochelle. "That's when he decided he had to give into Jacques."

The coach walked over to Plante's stall and said, "You won this battle; now go win the game." Plante did win the game and so the goalie mask era began.

And all because portly Joe Schaefer didn't look so good in a Canadiens uniform!