Jacques Plante

Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender whose career lasted from 1947 to 1975. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963, and during his tenure the team won the Stanley Cup six times, including five consecutive championships. He retired in 1965 but was persuaded to return to the National Hockey League with the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1968. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1970 and to the Boston Bruins in 1973. Plante then joined the World Hockey Association as coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques in 1973–74 before playing goal for the Edmonton Oilers in 1974–75, ending his professional career with that team. He was considered one of the most important innovators in hockey and was the first NHL goaltender to wear a goaltender mask in regulation play on a regular basis. He developed and tested many versions of the mask, including the forerunner of today's mask and helmet combination, with the assistance of other experts. In 2017 he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.