Jacques Plante was born on this day in 1929. While it is often claimed he was the first goalie to wear a mask, this isn't the case. Several goalies beat him to it. | Canadian History Ehx

Most people hear Jacques Plante and think “the guy who invented the goalie mask.” What they don’t realize is why he wore it. This wasn’t about comfort. This wasn’t about safety culture. And it definitely wasn’t about fear. Plante was already one of the toughest goalies in the NHL before the mask. In an era where goalies were expected to stand in front of frozen rubber going 90 mph with nothing but courage, Plante took puck after puck to the face. Broken noses. Split lips. Missing teeth. Stitches