Goalies Rule

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Wayne Stephenson Rules - We pay tribute to the late Wayne Stephenson

If you like Wayne Stephenson and his great Washington Capitals mask, you might want to check out these videos.

1. This video features some great Wayne Stephenson saves and footage from his time with the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The video is 20 minutes long and was created by Youtuber oilerfanatic1

2. This video is a short montage of Wayne Stephenson photos.

Goalies Rule is not only a blog, it’s also a great e-commerce store where you can buy some fun goalie-mask themed products for the goalie (or goalie lover) in your family. If you like Wayne Stephenson’s mask, you can buy his mask image with one of eight fun catch-phrases on a dozen different products ranging from cell phone cases to pillows, from t-shirts to coffee mugs. These products are reasonably priced and make great gifts / presents - Christmas presents, birthday presents, graduation gifts, anniversary gifts, etc.

To purchase a product with Wayne Stephenson’s mask, choose your favourite catch-phrase as shown below, then click on that phrase to see the dozen different products being sold with that phrase.

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

Please also note that we are working with a number of different goalies - The Great Eight - to see/purchase products featuring those masks, please visit our website and click on GOALIES.

The Great Eight

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks
Scott

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Wayne Stephenson - A brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Wayne Stephenson was born January 29, 1945 and passed away June 22, 2010.

After playing junior hockey for the Winnipeg Braves, Wayne Stephenson was asked to play for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 1965 Memorial Cup. After that, he spent the next five years with the Canadian National Team and Father David Bauer. He played in several international tournaments including the World Championships in both 1967 and 1969, as well as the 1968 Olympics where he and his Canadian teammates won bronze medals. Playing hockey at this level allowed Stephenson, and many of his teammates, to go to university and advance their education while playing hockey.

The Canadian National team was gearing up for a gold medal run at the 1972 Olympics and had assembled a very talented team, but in January 1970 Canada announced that it was withdrawing from all international hockey competition in response to the International Ice Hockey Federation’s opposition to allowing professional players to take part. The decision cost Canada the opportunity to host the IIHF World Championship for the first time and well as participation in the 1972 Olympics in Japan. At that stage, 25 year old Wayne Stephenson decided to retire from hockey and focus on his accounting career in Winnipeg.

Then late in the 1971-72 season, St. Louis Blues General Manager Lynn Patrick called the retired Wayne Stephenson and the Blues signed him as a free agent. Wayne made his NHL debut shortly thereafter as a 27 year old rookie. He played in St. Louis for the next two seasons before being traded to the Flyers in 1974. He represented the Flyers in the All-Star Game in both 1976 and 1978. After five seasons in Philadelphia, Stephenson was dealt to the Washington Capitals where he spent two seasons before retiring from the game in 1980-81 at 36 years of age.

Stephenson finished his NHL career with an impressive 146 wins, 103 losses and 49 ties (a handsome .572 winning percentage), and also went 11-12 in the playoffs.

Wayne passed away in 2010 at 65 years of age.

Primary Source of information for this posting:
The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Wayne

Here are Wayne’s lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com

=====================================

If you like the look of Wayne Stephenson’s mask, then you should consider buying something from us. These products make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves hockey - especially someone who loves goalies.

We have actually married Wayne’s mask with eight different sayings or catch phrases and put the image + phrase on a variety of products from cell phone cases to pillows, and from coffee mugs to t-shirts. For instance, if you’d like to buy Gary's mask on a coffee mug, you can choose one of the following eight phrases:

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

To PURCHASE any product with Wayne Stephenson’s goalie mask, simply start by clicking on the phrase of your choice above and then you will be presented with 12 different products (from coffee mugs to t-shirts) with that phrase.

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks
Scott

Jacques Plante - A brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Jacques Plante was born January 17, 1929 and passed away February 27, 1986.

If not the best goalie of all time, Jacques Plante was certainly the most important - the man who introduced the art of modern goaltending to the NHL and whose influence is seen every night a game is played. "Jake the Snake" was born in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, and from the time he started playing, his destiny was to play for the Montreal Canadiens.

After a usual four-year apprenticeship with the Montreal Royals in Quebec senior hockey and two years with the Buffalo Bisons, Plante quickly emerged as Montreal's goalie of the future. He played a few games for the Habs in 1952-53 and 1953-54, and in his first full season began an incredible run of five consecutive Stanley Cup wins and five consecutive Vezina Trophy wins, records that have yet to be equaled.

Throughout his career he was plagued with recurring asthma and after missing 13 games due to a sinusitis operation, Plante began wearing a mask in practices in 1956. Coach Toe Blake endorsed the move cautiously because it kept his goalie healthy and happy, but he warned Plante that a mask wasn't permitted during games. However, during a Montreal versus New York game the night of November 2, 1959, Plante was hit in the face by a shot. He went off to the dressing room for stitches and when he returned he was wearing a mask. Blake was livid, but he had no other goalie to call upon and Plante refused to return to the goal unless he kept the mask. Blake agreed on condition that Plante discard the mask when the cut had healed. In the ensuing days Plante refused, and as the team continued to win, Blake became less obstinate. The Montreal record stretched into an 18-game unbeaten streak with Plante protected and the mask was in the NHL for good.

Plante was a pioneer of the style of play for goaltenders as well. While there had been other goalies before him who periodically came out of their crease to play the puck, he was the first to skate in behind the net to stop the puck for his defensemen. He also was the first to raise his arm on an icing call to let his defensemen know what was happening on the ice, and he perfected a stand-up style of goaltending that emphasized positional play, cutting down the angles and staying square to the shooter. His book, On Goaltending, was the first of its kind and solidified his place in the game as not just a great stopper but a man who truly understood hockey and wanted to have an influence on how the game would be played in the future.

Plante retired in 1965 after playing two seasons with the Rangers, but he was lured out of retirement by the St. Louis Blues and the prospects of sharing the goaltending with the great Glenn Hall for the expansion team. Together they took the Blues to two Stanley Cup finals, and in 1969 Plante shared the Vezina Trophy with Hall at the ripe old age of 40. He also played with Toronto and Boston and played for one final season with the Edmonton Oilers in the WHA before becoming a scout and goalie coach in St. Louis. In 1962 he was the last goalie to win the Hart Trophy before Dominik Hasek in 1997, and he ranks among the leaders in games played and shutouts. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.

Jacques Plante passed away in 1986 at just 57 years of age.

Primary Source: The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Jacques:

Here are Jacques’ lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com:

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If you like the look of Jacques Plante’s mask, then you should consider buying something from our fun Heritage Sports Stuff website where we are selling some great vintage goalie mask products. Our agreement with Jacques Plante's family expired in November 2019 - our loss - but we are still working with some other great goalies and some other great masks. Here are the Magnificent Seven Goalies and their masks.

Mike Palmateer - A brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Mike Palmateer was born January 13, 1954.

From his Peewee season on, Mike Palmateer tended goal for the Toronto Marlboros organization, right under the noses of Toronto Maple Leafs' management. Yet, as an NHL prospect, he hardly created a stir in the minds of the club's brass as they reflected on how to spend their hoard of draft picks.

The Leafs did finally bring Palmateer into the chain in 1974. He was promptly dispatched to the minors where he tended goal for the Saginaw Gears of the IHL and the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL. It wasn't until early in the 1976-77 campaign that he was brought to Maple Leaf Gardens for an extended stay. Suddenly, fans, analysts, and the club's management were all struck by the little fireball between the Leafs' pipes.

Some described him as a leprechaun in goal pads while others claimed he was brash and overrated and carried a chip on his shoulder. But whether people liked him or not, they couldn't help but be entertained by his dynamic exploits in the crease. He could make saves like a vaudeville dancer falling to the ice and then in an instant, be right back on his feet, ready for the next attack. He was colorful, cantankerous, and cocky while playing his daring game close to the edge.

From 1977 to 1979, with Palmateer in goal, the Leafs fortunes began to rise up from the depths of ineptitude. During the playoffs of 1978, he was a standout as the Leafs ousted the up-and-coming Islanders from the playoffs. But in 1980, Palmateer engaged in a contract dispute with the Leafs. He wanted a three-year deal while the club would offer only two. As a result, he was traded to the Washington Capitals.

In his first season as a Cap, Palmateer was slowed by a series of nagging injuries that included a pulled hamstring, ankle ligament damage, and bone chips in his wrist. Year two got even worse as his action-worn knees began to give way.

He was put on the shelf to have arthroscopic surgery at a local hospital. He was already dressed in hospital linen, on his way into the operating room when an urgent call came through from the Caps. Their other goalie, Wayne Stephenson, had just gone down with an injury. They needed Palmateer, bad knee and all, for the evening's game. So, he was packed back into the ambulance and delivered the stadium in time for the match. His surgery was then completed several days later.

In 1982, with his legs in decline, Palmateer was sold back to the Leafs where he gave his career one last try. But a plethora of operations on his knee failed to give the backstopper the mobility he needed to be effective. He got to the point where he couldn't even cover the right side of the net. As a result, he was forced to hang up his pads at age 30 in 1984.

Primary Source of information for this posting:
The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Mike:

Here are Mike’s lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com:

=====================================

If you like the look of Mike Palmateer’s mask, then you should consider buying something from us. These products make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves hockey - especially someone who loves goalies.

We have actually married Mike’s mask with eight different sayings or catch phrases and put the image + phrase on a variety of products from cell phone cases to pillows, and from coffee mugs to t-shirts. For instance, if you’d like to buy Gary's mask on a coffee mug, you can choose one of the following eight phrases:

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

To PURCHASE any product with Mike Palmateer’s goalie mask, simply start by clicking on the phrase of your choice above and then you will be presented with 12 different products (from coffee mugs to t-shirts) with that phrase.

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks
Scott

Gilles Gratton - A brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Gilles Gratton was born July 28, 1952.

One of the more unique characters to ever play the game, goalie Gilles Gratton showed flashes of brilliance in the NHL and WHA. He was occasionally hot between the pipes but was better known as an eccentric figure who painted wild designs or animal faces on his masks and was outspoken throughout his career.

The native of LaSalle, Quebec, was chosen 69th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1972 after a fine junior career with the Oshawa Generals of the OHA. He opted to join the WHA where he played three years with the Ottawa Nationals and Toronto Toros. Gratton often acted in a way that took the attention away from his talent. One night in San Diego he addressed the crowd prior to a playoff game and began insulting their city and team in a odd show of gamesmanship.

Gratton was not without his admirers. In 1974 he was selected as one of three goalies to play for Canada in the Summit Series that matched the USSR against the best from the WHA. Coach Billy Harris put Gilles on Team Canada with the idea that he would challenge Gerry Cheevers and Don MacLeod for ice time. He saw no action in the exhibition games against the juniors, nor did he see any action against the Soviets. He did play in Team Canada's exhibition games against the Finnish National Team in Helsinki (an 8-3 win) and the Czech National Team in Prague (a 3-1 loss), and played quite well.

In July, 1975, the Sabres sent Gratton's rights to the St. Louis Blues for cash. He only played a handful of NHL games in 1975-76 before walking out on the team in November after a game. He was blocked by the Blues when he tried to rejoin the Toros but was eventually released and signed with the New York Rangers. Gratton played 41 games for the club in 1976-77 and then retired the next season after making one appearance for the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL.

Primary Source of information for this posting:
The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Gilles:

Here are Gilles’ lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com:

=====================================

If you like the look of Gilles Gratton’s mask, then you should consider buying something from us. These products make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves hockey - especially someone who loves goalies.

We have actually married Gilles’ mask with eight different sayings or catch phrases and put the image + phrase on a variety of products from cell phone cases to pillows, and from coffee mugs to t-shirts. For instance, if you’d like to buy Gary's mask on a coffee mug, you can choose one of the following eight phrases:

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

To PURCHASE any product with Gilles Gratton’s goalie mask, simply start by clicking on the phrase of your choice above and then you will be presented with 12 different products (from coffee mugs to t-shirts) with that phrase.

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks
Scott

Doug Favell - A brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Doug Favell was born April 5, 1945.

When the National Hockey League doubled in size with the 1967 league expansion many big-league jobs were suddenly created for minor league players and one of the men that seized that opportunity was goaltender Doug Favell. Favell was tending goal in the Bruins organization when he was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the expansion draft.

With the Flyers Favell split the duties with another former Bruin, Bernie Parent. His first season in Philadelphia was a success with Favell posting a .500 record with 15 wins and 15 losses. Over the next three and a half years Favell and Parent continued to split the goaltending duties for the rapidly improving Philadelphia club. However, midway through the 1970-71 campaign Parent was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Favell became the undisputed starter. In 1972-73 the Flyers really began to show signs of becoming a league power and Favell back-stopped them during their first extended venture into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. When the Flyers bowed out 11 games into the post-season, management decided to reverse a previous decision.

Favell was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a deal that saw his former partner Bernie Parent return to the city of brotherly love. With the Leafs Favell was one of three veterans that handled the goaltending duties, though Favell's 32 appearances led the team. The following season he again played the lion's share of games, but struggled with just 12 wins in 39 games and the worst goals against average of his career. His third season in Toronto saw him play just three games with the Maple Leafs and he was unable to manage a win. An elbow injury that required surgery put him on the shelf for a stretch of the season and he spent four games in the minor leagues. In the end, his year was a write-off with just seven games played for Favell.

In September of 1976 the Maple Leafs sold Favell's rights to the Colorado Rockies. Favell spent that first season backing up Michel Plasse, another netminder the Rockies had acquired in the off-season. During his second year in Colorado Favell wrestled the starting job away from Plasse and he played 47 games and posted 13 victories. Much like his time with the Maple Leafs, he ran into trouble during his third season with the club. Favell was unable to post a victory during seven games with Colorado and spent the rest of his season toiling in the minors.

That summer the league absorbed four franchises from the World Hockey Association and the league held an expansion draft to help fill out their rosters. The Edmonton Oilers selected the veteran goaltender, and though he elected to retire rather then try and make the new club's roster, Favell entered the history books as the only player selected in both the 1967 and 1979 Expansion drafts.

Primary Source of information for this posting:
The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Doug:

Here are Doug’s lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com

=====================================

If you like the look of Doug Favell’s mask, then you should consider buying something from us. These products make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves hockey - especially someone who loves goalies.

We have actually married Doug's mask with eight different sayings or catch phrases and put the image + phrase on a variety of products from cell phone cases to pillows, and from coffee mugs to t-shirts. For instance, if you’d like to buy Gary's mask on a coffee mug, you can choose one of the following eight phrases:

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

To PURCHASE any product with Doug Favell’s goalie mask, simply start by clicking on the phrase of your choice above and then you will be presented with 12 different products (from coffee mugs to t-shirts) with that phrase.

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks
Scott

Gerry Cheevers - A brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Gerry Cheevers was born December 7, 1940.

One of the first aggressive, straying goalies, Gerry "Cheesey" Cheevers was the backbone of the offensively talented Boston Bruins that won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. It was an improbable peak to a career that began inauspiciously during the Original Six years, when there were exactly six goalies in the National Hockey League - and he wasn't one of them.

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Cheevers was raised in Toronto and the Leafs were interested in him from the time he was a youngster. They sent him to the St. Michael's Majors in the Ontario junior league to develop, and that is exactly what happened. Although he played a few games at left wing for the Majors, he was a goalie for most of his five years there. But the Leafs had Johnny Bower in goal and Cheevers wasn't going to displace the "China Wall" from the Leaf cage.

Cheevers was sent to the farm team in Pittsburgh and played two games with the Leafs without making much of an impression. And he didn't join Boston until 1965-66 after being claimed by the Bruins in the summer Intra-League Draft when Leafs’ GM Punch Imlach left him open for the taking.

By 1968 he was the number one man in Boston, the savior on a team that had the incomparable Bobby Orr and, soon, Phil Esposito and the other great scoring stars. While all the others were in the offensive zone putting the puck in the net, Cheevers was frequently left to his own devices to prevent goals. The only criticism, one that stuck with him his whole career, was that he roamed too much, sometimes with negative consequences.

During practice in the 1968-69 season, he began what was to be his most famous trademark - painting stitches on his mask to indicate where a puck had hit him. "I was trying to get out of practice one day," he explained, "when this shot that couldn't have broken an egg hit me in the mask. I faked a serious injury and went into the dressing room. I was sitting there having a Coke when Harry Sinden came in and told me to get back out onto the ice. All the guys were laughing, so I knew I had to do something. I told the trainer to paint a 30-stitch gash on the mask. Then I went out and told Harry, See how bad it is!" In ensuing years, he periodically added more scars and his mask became a symbol of the first generation of mask-wearing goalies demonstrating the safety of face protection.

In the summer of 1972, fresh from a Stanley Cup, Cheevers was one of a number of superstars to leave the NHL and join the upstart World Hockey Association. He signed an incredible seven-year, $1.4 million contract with the Cleveland Crusaders, which he thought would be the last contract of his career. But after less than four years he asked to be bought out and returned to the Bruins and the NHL for most of the next four seasons.

Cheevers was considered the finest playoff goalie of his day thanks in part to his team attitude. He didn't care how many goals he let in as long as his Bruins scored one more. Shutouts and trophies meant nothing. Only the Stanley Cup counted. His career playoff record was 53-34, one of the best ratios in league history.

In 1985, Cheevers was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Primary Source of information for this posting:
The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Gerry:

Here are Gerry’s lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com

=====================================

If you like the look of Gerry Cheevers’ mask, then you should consider buying something from us. These products make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves hockey - especially someone who loves goalies.

We have actually married Gerry's mask with eight different sayings or catch phrases and put the image + phrase on a variety of products from cell phone cases to pillows, and from coffee mugs to t-shirts. For instance, if you’d like to buy Gary's mask on a coffee mug, you can choose one of the following eight phrases:

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

To PURCHASE any product with Gerry Cheevers' goalie mask, simply start by clicking on the phrase of your choice above and then you will be presented with 12 different products (from coffee mugs to t-shirts) with that phrase.

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks
Scott

Steve Baker - A brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Steve Baker was born May 6, 1957

Steve Baker was drafted by the New York Rangers in the 3rd round and 44th overall in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft.

Steve Baker had a sizzling hot introduction to the NHL with the New York Rangers. He lost only one of his first ten starts in 1979-80 and seemed destined to be the Ranger keeper of the future. Instead he played in fewer and fewer games each year, finally getting into only three contests in 1982-83 before ending his playing career in the minors the following season.

Steve first received praise at Union College in Schenectady, New York. In the first two years of the program the team went 46-5, but Baker and several other star players quit the team when the Dutchmen’s celebrated coach, Ned Harkness, was forced to resign in the program’s third year. Harkness was known as a keen judge of goalkeeping talent, having sent another college netminder, Ken Dryden of Cornell, to the professional ranks.

Baker finished the 1982-83 season with the Tulsa Oilers, playing a league-leading 49 games, and after one more season, in the AHL, he retired.

Primary Source of information for this posting:
The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Steve:

Here are Steve’s lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com

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If you like the look of Steve Baker’s mask, then you should consider buying something from us. These products make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves hockey - especially someone who loves goalies.

We have actually married Gary's mask with eight different sayings or catch phrases and put the image + phrase on a variety of products from cell phone cases to pillows, and from coffee mugs to t-shirts. For instance, if you’d like to buy Gary's mask on a coffee mug, you can choose one of the following eight phrases:

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

To PURCHASE any product with Steve Baker’s goalie mask, simply start by clicking on the phrase of your choice above and then you will be presented with 12 different products (from coffee mugs to t-shirts) with that phrase.

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks
Scott

Gary Bromley - a brief hockey history and one of the all-time great NHL masks

Garry Bromley was born January 19, 1950.

Yes – that is not a typo – Gary Bromley’s real name is actually Garry Bromley. It turns out that Garry admits to being a lazy student when he was young, and having to write two R’s in his name was too much work, so he shortened his name to Gary with one R to save time and effort. And that’s how the junior and professional hockey worlds came to know Garry – as Gary Bromley. In fact, it wasn't until recent years that Garry went back to the proper spelling of his first name.

So forgive me Garry, but for our purposes we’re going to go with your “stage” name – Gary Bromley.

Gary Bromley played an impressive four seasons for the Junior A Regina Pats. Moreover, he played in two Memorial Cup tournaments - in 1969 for his own Regina Pats, then 1970 as an emergency call up for the Weyburn Tigers.

Goaltender Gary Bromley spent six years in the NHL in the 1970s and '80s chiefly as a second stringer. In addition to his NHL tenure, he was solid in junior, the minor leagues, and the WHA.

The native of Edmonton, Alberta played junior with the Regina Pats. He was signed as a free agent by the Buffalo Sabres in September 1971 and then spent two full years in the minors. His first minor league season was spent with the Charlotte Checkers of the Eastern Hockey League, and it was there that he was given the nickname “Bones” for being so skinny (5' 10", 145 lbs). The nickname has stayed with Gary his entire life.

Bromley moved on to play for the Cincinnati Swords of the AHL, and he helped the Swords win the Calder Cup in 1973. He then appeared briefly with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres in 1973-74. The loss of Dave Dryden to the WHA and the health concerns surrounding Roger Crozier gave Bromley a chance to shine in 1974-75. He posted a 26-11-11 record with four shutouts but was relegated to back up status when Buffalo acquired Gerry Desjardins late in the season.

After an injury-riddled season in 1975-76, Bromley joined the Calgary Cowboys of the WHA the next season. After the Calgary franchise folded, he spent the 1977-78 campaign with the high-flying Winnipeg Jets where he played the majority of the games in the Jets’ Avco Cup winning season. A day after winning the Cup in May 1978, he signed as a free agent with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Bromley played parts of three seasons with the Canucks where he shared time with Glen Hanlon, Dunc Wilson, and Richard Brodeur.

It was while he was with the Canucks that his mask maker, Greg Harrison, came up with the Skull and Bones motif for his mask.

In May 1981 Gary was traded to the Los Angeles Kings by Vancouver to complete a transaction that sent Doug Halward to Vancouver (March 8, 1981). He retired after spending the 1981-82 season with the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL.

In total Gary played 136 regular games in the NHL and another 7 playoff games. He recorded 7 shutouts.

Primary Source: The Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Player Search.

Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Gary.

Here are Gary’s lifetime stats courtesy of HockeyDB.com.

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If you like the look of Gary Bromley’s mask, then you should consider buying something from us. These products make fantastic gifts for anyone who loves hockey - especially someone who loves goalies.

We have actually married Gary's mask with eight different sayings or catch phrases and put the image + phrase on a variety of products from cell phone cases to pillows, and from coffee mugs to t-shirts. For instance, if you’d like to buy Gary's mask on a coffee mug, you can choose one of the following eight phrases:

The Puck Stops Here

Born To Save

And On The 7th Day, God Created Goalies

Beware – Old Goalie Inside

My Crease Is My Castle

Goalies Rule

Eat. Sleep. Stop Pucks.

Card Carrying Goalie

To PURCHASE any product with Gary Bromley's goalie mask, simply start by clicking on the phrase of your choice above and then you will be presented with 12 different products (from coffee mugs to t-shirts) with that phrase.

Goalies Rule is a celebration of great goalie masks from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Even though the era of face-fitting masks has passed, these masks are timeless in their beauty and simplicity. Goalies Rule marries some great goalie mask images with some great products ranging from t-shirts and cell phone cases to pillows and stretched canvas prints. These products will make fantastic gifts for the hockey fan / goalie fan in your family. These products are fun, iconic and really eye-catchingly beautiful.

We are a Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) company making Direct-To-Print products – what this means is that if you place an order with us today, your product will be made for you within 48 hours and shipped to you anywhere in North America from our production facility in Florida. If you are in Europe, they will be shipped from our facility in Germany or Latvia. And if you’re in Asia, they’ll be shipped to you from our facility in China.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you receive your purchase and you are dissatisfied for any reason, just let me know and I will make it right either by refunding your payment in full or sending you another product.

Goalies Rule is owned and operated by me, Scott Sillcox of Aurora, Ontario. I’m a real person and I’d like to have nothing but delighted customers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please call me 416-315-4736 or email me.

Many thanks for your time.
Scott