Goaltenders Unmasked Wild Tales of Hockey Goaltenders in the Era Before Masks

<B>A fascinating and immersive chronicle of hockey''s original maskless warriors</B><BR/><BR/> More than 400 stitches decorated Terry Sawchuk''s face during his 16 years as a goaltender in the National Hockey League, the result of high-speed collisions and slapshots that whizzed directly at his skull. All in a day''s work for an elite goalie of his era.<BR/><BR/> Before facemasks became standard equipment in the 1960s and ''70s, men like Sawchuk, Glenn Hall, and Jacques Plante—the first goalie to ever wear a mask in the NHL—put their bodies on the line in the name of hockey, enduring broken bones, damaged organs, and even psychological turmoil.<BR/><BR/> In this thoroughly researched book, Rob Vanstone illuminates the stories of these intrepid warriors while examining how the goaltender position has changed throughout the decades. As masks evolved from ghoulish-looking creations not out of place in horror films to today''s caged helmets with custom artwork, goalies'' body positioning and tactics were similarly transformed along with NHL regulations.<BR/><BR/><B>Told with charm and verve, this is an essential portrait of a uniquely brutal and harrowing chapter in hockey history.</B>