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October 07, 2008

Top Ten Goalie Masks

It's Top Ten Tuesday! This week, inspired by the new book Saving Face: The Art And History Of The Goalie Mask, I rank my personal top ten goalie masks of all time.

#10. Eddie Belfour. Eddie The Eagle has been around in many color schemes over the years and travels. None is better than the Chicago original with the brilliant red background.

#9. Jason Voorhees. Okay, Jason was not a hockey player, but he sure knew how to slash. And his mask may be the most famous goalie mask of them all.


#8. Marty Turco - Gargoyles perched on a brick wall seem to be the perfect fit for a goaltender's mask.


#7. Andy Moog - Moog's bear really started the trend of having an animal on the mask devouring the person inside of it.

#6. Johnny Bower. Bower never wore this prototype of a mask in play. I wouldn't want a Bobby Hull slap shot hitting this mask!

#5. Patrick Roy - I know what you're going to say - it's just the logo on top of his head. But everyone can see it, including the guy who saved for months for the nosebleed seats to take his kid to the game to the guys at home watching on TV that never get to go to a game. Patrick Roy may have kept his mask simple, but by doing so he shared it with the true fans of the game.


#4. Gump Worsley. What mask, you say? Gump Worsley once said "My face is my mask." Great answer!

#3. Mike Richter. Virtually all of today's masks feature the finest details of art but no one can see them. Richter's Statue of Liberty mask was simple and beautiful, and you could see Lady Liberty from the nosebleed seats.

#2 Gerry Cheevers. Ah, the mask that started the painting craze. Every time Cheevers took a shot off the mask, he'd jiffy marker stitch marks on his white mask to thank his mask for saving his face.

#1. Gilles Gratton. Gratton was a weird guy, but his mask was amazing. It literally looks like there's a lion playing goal for the Rangers!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keeping in the same vein as Eddie Belfour's, what about Curtis Joseph? Or Felix Potvin? I remember wanting them to be traded so I could what their distinctive masks would look like with new team colours.

Anonymous said...

Jojo should have been on the list.

Joe Costa said...

Roberto Luongo during his stay with the Panthers had the sickest masks ever.

Jocelyn C. said...

Great list, but it would be almost impossible to make an accurate list.
My favorite is John Vanbiesbrouck's Panther's mask and Cristobal Huet of Montreal Canadiens close second; but it is my own choice witch is as good as anyone's .Stephane Fiset's and Ron Hextall's with Québec Nordiques would be along as well; just as many others...

Anonymous said...

Fabulous list. As a Blackhawk fan, I will never forget the Eagle between the pipes. Nice job guys.

Anonymous said...

Murray Bannerman should have made the list.

Also, personally, kind of like Dennis Herron's mask with the Scouts.

Anonymous said...

Felix Potvin

Anonymous said...

Mike Liut's '82-'83 grim reaper style mask has to be one of the all time best.

Anonymous said...

What about the best original fiberglass/cage combo, Brian Hayward of the San Jose Sharks?

Sebastien Regnier said...

Jeff Hackett in Montreal with the kids playing pond hockey was great and spoke a lot about the culture and history of hockey in Montreal.

Anonymous said...

1. Gerry Cheevers Stitches Mask
2. Jacques Plantes First Mask
3 Bernie Parent's Simple White Mask with the Flyer logos
4. Ken Dryden's Harlequin Mask
5. Vladislav Tretiak's Cage
6. Doug Favell's Pumpkin Mask
7. Eddie Belfour's Eagles
8. Gump,Glenn Hall, and Eddie Giacomin

Anonymous said...

Trevor Kidd had a terrific helmet with the dragons and flames and the "kidder" banner on the chin

Anonymous said...

Rick Depietro, New York Islanders and Manny Legace, St.Louis Blues -- meaningful & inspirational. And I love all of the rock star masks like Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Kiss, Angus whats-his-name...

Anonymous said...

Vesa Toskala's Maple Leafs mask