TAKaya Golf Centre Best Prices (65 balls $4.00) (25% per ball less than competition) Longest. Distance (280 yards) New Balls (Topflite Range Balls) (7| Yardage Markers NEW HOURS Weekdays 9:30 am-9:00 pm Weekends 8:30 am-9:00 pm NEWS photo Mike Wakefield JOHN ROBERTSON, Shane Collins, Debbie Carlow and Steve Forseth (left to right) brave the waters off ‘Ambleside Beach as they ready themselves for the second annual West Vancouver Seaside Classic on July 10. The three-kilometre swim from Dundarave to Ambleside is a ‘ fundraising event for the Children’s Hospital. hoi is that man behind the mask? | _ WHICH CANADIAN literally “.. changed the face of hockey? Most Canadians over the age of 35 know that Montreal Canadien goaltender Jacques Plante invented the hockey mask. But young Canadian sports fans have -yet.to appreciate the courage and daring innovation that character- : ized the immortal, mobile netminder. ~’ ~ Plante was a player who dared to “be different, and ,wearing protective “headgear, went against the game’s “macho” tradition (as.did Plante’s _ habit of knitting’ in the dressing room -before games). "The oldest of 11 children in a- ~ Shawinigan, Quebec, family ‘during ‘the Depression, his youthful educa-. : tion. included learning to cook and sew. and make his own sweaters. © oA sports’ columnist recalled see- ing Plante in-goal for the. Montreal -Royals.at age.22, wearing a toque ‘and jersey he had knitted for-himself. _ Throughout his career Plante was considered something of an eccentric and a loner. Some . contend he” was a hypochondriac. In fact, he suffered = from asthma, and as.a result he ‘would.often divorce himself from the team when. on the road-to avoid _ smoke-filled rooms. Plante also appreciated the stress of goaltending and was not one to- mince words, . . “How would you like it,” he once asked, “if you were doing your job in an office and you made a little mis- take. Suddenly a bright light flashed on, a loud buzzer went off, and 18,000 people started screaming: ‘Get the bum out of there!’ ” On the ice, Plante was a study in focus. When a teammate scored on him-in practice, he would stare straight ahead,-as though the puck had not gone in. Plante revolution- ized the goalie position by pioneer- ing the move of stopping the puck behind the net and leaving it for a defenceman, or passing off to a teammate along the boards. His risky style outside of the “cage” unsettled coaches and drove fans to distraction. The. goaltenders of that era often suffered from the pressure of “seeing too much rub- ber,” which was a’ sporting euphemism for laceration, concus- sion and generat contusion by speed- ing pucks. -Plante’s “seeing rubber” turning, point came in a game at Madison Square Gardens on Nov. 1, 1959, when a powerful slupshot by New York Rangers’ Andy Bathgate rede- fined his profile, inflicting a gash that took seven stitches to close. After receiving a total of 200 pre- vious stitches in the race, Plante decided he had paid his dues to the gods of our national sport and stub- bornly held his own against Canadiens’ coach Toe Blake, who - - believed a player had to “tight for his '_ life” to play well. That night, with his face sewn :, from nose to lip, Plante agreed to return to the ice only if he was allowed to wear his face mask, which he had worn in practices since 1955. This cream-colored mask drew a mixture ‘of criticism, admiration and- - wisecracks. ". Nevertheless, the team went on to win the game 4-1. To keep his mask, which he was supposed to give up once his face healed, Plante outdid himself by backstopping an 1 1-game winning streak, and eventually capturing the - Stanley Cup the following spring. With a keen sense of showman- ship, Plante was well-suited in the 1960s to appear in public wearing a plastic or fibreglass mask, looking like something from a Frankenstein film. He also made the masks. Overall, he produced several models for himself and fellow play- ers, constantly improving their strength, visibility and lightness. In the 1960s and 1970s, protec- tive face masks with captivating graphics flourished in the NHL. and were even the subject of art exhibi- tions. Today, the goalie mask is mandatory gear for anyone coura- geous and agile enough to play that critical position in the game. Jacques Plante’s playing career spanned two decades, during which he won the prestigious Vezina Trophy seven times. His legacy is part of hackcy’s history, and his moves are imifated by players from — peewees to professionals. In various ways, Jacques Plante managed to influence and shape the rules of the game. His innovative spirit gave hockey anew face forever. For more information about the Heritage Project, a CRB Foundation project for which this article was produced, call 1-800-567-1867. «OLE KEARNEY The sports department welcomes Jim Kearney to he ld. -Kearney’s playing days include stints with both Vancouver dailies, The Daily Telegraph, CBC li, Canadian Press and Reuters. His travels have taken him to seven Olympic garries “and numerous other international competitions. The award-winning journalist i is the latest acquisition “fo the News’ expanding | sports team. , Read Kearney exclusively in the North Shore News ae every Wednesday.