In honour of Jacques Plante

We've come a long way since Jacques Plante's legendary first mask was worn fifty years ago today. I'm not the person to ask if you want an insightful retrospective on what the game was like before the goalie mask, and what strides have been made since November 1959 (obviously, that's a job best left to Red Fisher, awesome in every way, so read his feature if you missed it in Saturday's paper) but I can tell you that even before I could name you every Canadien who's had his jersey retired, I knew about Plante. This is why hockey is such a big deal in this city: it goes without saying that some of the men who've worn the CH have changed the face of hockey (literally... and that joke was completely unintentional).

I'll definitely be taping 50 Years Behind The Mask on NHL Network tonight to watch the transition from bare-faced goalies to those of Plante's era to the slick, expensive custom helmets we see on all goalies these days.