Most NHL goaltenders paint unique designs on their mask that reflect their personality and/or their team. Goaltenders have been wearing masks to protect their faces since 1959, and many have offered fans a unique visual experience. Martin Brodeur, Ed Belfour and Patrick Roy are three of the best goaltenders to ever play in the NHL and their masks have become a defining symbol of their legacy.
Mask Origins
Jacques Plante is one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. After more than 20 years in the league, the vast majority spent with the Montreal Canadiens, Plante won the Vezina Trophy for the league's best goaltender seven times and the Hart Trophy for the league's Most Valuable Player in 1962. In a game in 1959, New York Rangers' forward Andy Bathgate, a feared scorer, took a rising shot that caught Plante in the face. Prior to this, goaltenders did not wear masks. Plante took seven stitches and returned to the game with a protective mask.
Martin Brodeur
The New Jersey Devils' legendary goaltender has worn only three different mask designs since 1991-92, when he was first called up to the NHL, according to the Devils. Brodeur's mask during that season was predominantly red with a touch of green. He then switched to the mask design he wore from the 1993-94 season, when he returned to the Devils and was rookie of the year, through 2007-08. The mask featured the letter "J" from the Devils' logo on the top of the helmet with flames on both sides. He wore this mask for all three of New Jersey's Stanley Cup titles. His mask, as of 2011, is the same one he's worn since 2008-09. It features the letters "MB" on top with his jersey number, 30, underneath. The letters and numbers form the devil tail of the team's jersey logo.
Ed Belfour
Ed "The Eagle" Belfour is a retired NHL goaltender who won the Vezina Trophy twice and a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1998-99. Belfour's signature mask design was two bald eagles on the top of the helmet. Belfour began his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, but also spent time with the Stars, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. Through the years, his mask went through subtle changes, but he always kept the two bald eagles, his trademark.
Patrick Roy
At one time, Patrick Roy held the record for most career wins by an NHL goaltender and still holds the record, as of January 2011, for most times voted the Most Valuable Player in the NHL playoffs at three. Roy played a little more than half his career with the Montreal Canadiens and spent eight seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. Roy's signature mask with the Canadiens featured the legendary Canadiens' logo above his eyes with the letter "C" from the logo below his chin with the number 33 inside it. Although this was a relatively simple design compared to other goaltenders, the mask came to symbolize his time with the Canadiens. It was also the mask he wore for the Canadiens' 1992-93 Stanley Cup championship season when the team won 10 consecutive overtime games.
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