DCHP-2

goalie mask goaltender mask DCHP-2 (April 2016)

• n. — Hockey

  a protective mask worn by hockey goaltenders.

  Type: 4. Culturally Significant — One of the first references to hockey goaltenders' wearing a protective mask comes from 1922, when equipment from other sports, such as a catcher's mask was used (see the 1922 quotation). Jacques Plante, the goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, who had been injured earlier, wore a mask in an official game in 1959 (Plante & Dunton 2001: 82). Plante's mask covered his entire face and was made of fiberglass (see Image 1).
  At that time, many hockey players were against following Plante's lead. It was believed that the mask would reduce goaltender's vision or impair their breathing (see the 1959 quotation). Others thought that "a real man wouldn't hide his face from the opponents" (Plante & Dunton 2001: 83). As the game got faster and shots harder, the goalie mask became standard. The term goalie mask could not be found in other dictionaries, although there were instances of goaltender only, the full version of goalie.
  See also COD-2, s.v. "goaltender", and OED-3, s.v. "goal-tender", which is marked "N Amer."

  See also: hockey