Jacques Plante
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.
| Jacques Plante | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1978 | |||
 | |||
| Born |
January 17, 1929 Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Died |
February 27, 1986 (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 | ||
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
changeRegular season
change| 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
change| 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
change| 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
changeBibliography
change- 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
change- 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.
Notes
changeOther websites
change
- 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 |