Jacques Plante

Jacques Plante (January 17, 1929 - February 27, 1986) was a Canadian ice hockey player.

Born Jacques Plante on in Mont Carmel, Quebec, he served as a goalie for a variety of teams, most notably for the Montreal Canadiens.

He was an important innovator in the sport for introducing a more active defensive play as the first goalie to leave his net to handle the puck in the corners. He was the first hockey player to regularly wear a protective mask in the National Hockey League.

In his illustrious career, Jacques Plante:

• led Montreal to 6 Stanley Cups;
• won 7 Vezina Trophies, of which 6 were won consecutively;
• won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the National Hockey League's Most Valuable Player in 1962.
• played in 8 All-Star games
• was inducted into the National Hockey League Hall of Fame in 1978.

Jacques Plante died of cancer in Sierre, Valais, Switzerland, where he had been living for a number of years.