Jacques Plante

Jacques Plante
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1978
Plante as a member of the Quebec Citadelles, wearing one of his characteristic tuques, 1948
Born	(1929-01-17)January 17, 1929 Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Quebec, Canada
Died	February 27, 1986(1986-02-27) (aged 57) Geneva, Switzerland
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	NHL Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers St. Louis Blues Toronto Maple Leafs Boston Bruins WHA Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	1952–1975

Joseph Jacques Omer "Jake the Snake" Plante (January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He grew up in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, and began to play hockey in 1932. Plante started to play organized hockey at age 12, and his first professional game was at age 18. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963; during this time, the team won the Stanley Cup six times, including five wins in a row.

Plante first retired in 1965, but he was asked to come back to the NHL to play for a new team, the St. Louis Blues, in 1968. Plante was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1970, and then to the Boston Bruins in 1973. He joined the World Hockey Association, first as coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques in 1973–74. After his time with Quebec was not successful, Plante played goal for the Edmonton Oilers in 1974–75. Plante retired for the last time during training camp in the 1975-76 season.

Plante is considered one of the most important inventors in ice hockey. Most importantly, Plante was the first NHL goaltender to always wear mask when playing. With the help of other experts, he made and tested many versions of the goalie mask, including a version of today's mask/helmet combination. Plante was the first goaltender to regularly play the puck outside his crease in support of his team's defencemen, and often instructed his teammates from behind the play, as the goaltender usually has the best view of the game.

Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978. He was chosen as the goaltender of the Canadiens' "dream team" in 1985. He was inducted into the Quebec Sports Pantheon in 1994. Lastly, the Montreal Canadiens retired Plante's sweater, #1, in 1995.

Plante was the eldest of 11 children. In 1949, he married Jacqueline Gagné; they had two sons, Michel and Richard. In 1970, Plante met his second wife, Raymonde Udrisard, with whom he eventually moved to Switzerland. He died in Geneva, on February 27, 1986, shortly after he had been diagnosed with untreatable stomach cancer. He was buried in Sierre.

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
1947–48	Montreal Royals	QSHL		2	0	0	2	120	5	0	2.50
1947–48	Quebec Citadelles	QSHL		31	18	11	1	1840	87	2	2.84
1948–49	Quebec Citadelles	QSHL		64	42	12	10	3840	119	7	1.86
1949–50	Montreal Royals	QSHL		58	27	22	9	3480	180	0	3.10
1950–51	Montreal Royals	QSHL		60	28	29	3	3670	201	4	3.29
1951–52	Montreal Royals	QSHL		60	30	24	6	3560	201	4	3.39
1952–53	Montreal Royals	QSHL		29	20	8	1	1760	61	4	2.08
1952–53	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		3	2	0	1	180	4	0	1.33
1952–53	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		33	13	19	1	2000	114	2	3.42
1953–54	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		55	32	17	6	3370	148	3	2.64
1953–54	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		17	7	5	5	1020	27	5	1.59
1954–55	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		52	31	13	7	3080	110	5	2.14
1955–56	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		64	42	12	10	3840	119	7	1.86
1956–57	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		61	31	18	12	3660	123	9	2.02
1957–58	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		57	34	14	8	3386	119	9	2.11
1958–59	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		67	38	16	13	4000	144	9	2.16
1959–60	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		69	40	17	12	4140	175	3	2.54
1960–61	Montreal Royals	EPHL		8	3	4	1	480	24	0	3.00
1960–61	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		40	22	11	7	2400	112	2	2.80
1961–62	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		70	42	14	14	4200	166	4	2.37
1962–63	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		56	22	14	19	3320	138	5	2.49
1963–64	New York Rangers	NHL		65	22	36	7	3900	220	3	3.38
1964–65	New York Rangers	NHL		33	10	17	5	1938	109	2	3.37
1964–65	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		17	6	9	1	1018	51	1	3.01
1968–69	St. Louis Blues	NHL		37	18	12	6	2139	70	5	1.96
1969–70	St. Louis Blues	NHL		32	18	9	5	1839	67	5	2.19
1970–71	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		40	24	11	4	2329	73	4	1.88
1971–72	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		34	16	13	5	1965	86	2	2.63
1972–73	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		32	8	14	6	1717	87	1	3.04
1972–73	Boston Bruins	NHL		8	7	1	0	480	16	2	2.00
1974–75	Edmonton Oilers	WHA		31	15	14	1	1592	88	1	3.32
NHL Career Totals				837	434	247	146	49533	1965	82	2.38
WHA Career Totals				31	15	14	1	1592	88	1	3.32

Post season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA
1947–48	Quebec	QJHL		9	4	5	0	545	28	2	3.08
1948–49	Quebec	QJHL		13	7	6	0	790	43	0	3.27
1949–50	Montreal Royals	QSHL		6	??	??	??	360	20	0	3.33
1950–51	Montreal Royals	QSHL		7	2	5	0	420	26	1	3.71
1951–52	Montreal Royals	QSHL		7	3	4	0	420	21	1	3.00
1952–53	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		4	3	1	0	240	7	1	1.75
1953–54	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		8	5	3	0	480	15	2	1.88
1954–55	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		12	6	4	0	640	30	0	2.81
1955–56	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		10	8	2	0	600	18	2	1.80
1956–57	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		10	8	2	0	616	18	1	1.75
1957–58	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		10	8	2	0	618	20	1	1.94
1958–59	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		11	8	3	0	670	28	0	2.51
1959–60	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		8	8	0	0	489	11	3	1.35
1960–61	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		6	2	4	0	412	16	0	2.33
1961–62	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		6	2	4	0	360	19	0	3.17
1962–63	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		5	1	4	0	300	14	0	2.80
1964–65	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		5	2	3	0	315	14	1	2.67
1968–69	St. Louis Blues	NHL		10	8	2	0	589	14	3	1.43
1969–70	St. Louis Blues	NHL		6	4	1	0	324	8	1	1.48
1970–71	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		3	0	2	0	134	7	0	3.13
1971–72	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		1	0	1	0	60	5	0	5.00
1972–73	Boston Bruins	NHL		2	0	2	0	120	10	0	5.00
NHL CAREER TOTALS				112	71	37	0	6652	240	14	2.16

Awards and honours

Award	Year/Season
Vezina Trophy	1955–56 NHL season
Selected to National Hockey League All-Star First Team	1955–56 NHL season
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1956
Vezina Trophy	1956–57 NHL season
Selected to National Hockey League All-Star Second Team	1956–57 NHL season
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1957
Vezina Trophy	1957–58 NHL season
Selected to National Hockey League All-Star Second Team	1957–58 NHL season
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1958
Vezina Trophy	1958–59 NHL season
Selected to National Hockey League All-Star First Team	1958–59 NHL season
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1959
Vezina Trophy	1959–60 NHL season
Selected to National Hockey League All-Star Second Team	1959–60 NHL season
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1960
Hart Memorial Trophy	1961–62 NHL season
Vezina Trophy	1961–62 NHL season
Selected to National Hockey League All-Star First Team	1961–62 NHL season
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1962
Shared (with Glenn Hall) Vezina Trophy	1968–69 NHL season
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1969
Played in National Hockey League All-Star Game	1970
Selected to National Hockey League All-Star Second Team	1970–71 NHL season
Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame	1978
Selected to the Canada Sports Hall of Fame	1981

Related pages

• Goalie mask
• Glenn Hall
• Terry Sawchuk

Bibliography

• O'Brien, Andy with Plante, Jacques (1973) The Jacques Plante Story. Toronto: McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-07-092991-2.
• Plante, Jacques (1972). On goaltending: Fundamentals of hockey netminding by the master of the game. Toronto: Collier MacMillan Canada. ISBN 0-02081-120-9.
  • Published 1972 in French as Devant le filet. Toronto: Collier MacMillan Canada. ISBN 0-02973-410-X .
  • Both editions reprinted 1997. Montreal: Multimedia Robert Davies. ISBN 1-55207-003-4 (English) and ISBN 2-89462-026-8 (French).

References

• Adrahtas, Tom (2002). Glenn Hall: The Man They Call Mr. Goalie. Vancouver: Greystone Books. ISBN 1-55054-912-X.
• Fischler, Stan (1994). Goalies: legends from the NHL's toughest job. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. ISBN 0-07-551822-8.
• Hornby, Lance (1998). The Story of Maple Leaf Gardens. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing. pp. 55. ISBN 1-58261-015-0.
• Hunter, Douglas (1998). A Breed Apart: an illustrated history of goaltending. Toronto: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-026984-3.
• Irvin Jr., Dick (1995). In the crease: Goaltenders look at life in the NHL. Toronto: McLelland and Steward. ISBN 0-771043-619.
• Irvin Jr., Dick (1991). The Habs: An oral history of the Montreal Canadiens. Toronto: McLelland and Steward. ISBN 0-7710-4356-2.
• Plante, Jacques (1997). On goaltending: Fundamentals of hockey netminding by the master of the game. Montreal: Robert Davies Multimedia Publishing. ISBN 1-55207-003-4.
• Plante, Raymond (2001). Jacques Plante: Behind the Mask. Montreal: XYZ Publishing. ISBN 0-9688166-2-2.

Other websites

• Jacques Plante career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Jacques Plante biography at Legends of Hockey
• History by the Minute—re-enactment of the game where Plante first wore a goaltender mask in regulation play
• NHL Network Online video article on Plante, including footage from November 1, 1959 Archived October 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

Preceded by Bernie Geoffrion	Winner of the Hart Trophy 1962	Succeeded by Gordie Howe
Preceded by Terry Sawchuk	Winner of the Vezina Trophy 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960	Succeeded by Johnny Bower
Preceded by Johnny Bower	Winner of the Vezina Trophy 1962	Succeeded by Glenn Hall
Preceded by Rogatien Vachon and Gump Worsley	Winner of the Vezina Trophy with Glenn Hall 1969	Succeeded by Tony Esposito