Wow, classic gentlemen that played one of the most dangerous jobs in sports with out masks for part of their careers. Very humbling. I had tears in my eyes by the end. Johnny ends it with a classic. Great men, all of them.
Love this! Former goalie here. I read Jacques Plante's book on goaltending which definitely helped me cut down angles. I also read a great book in my youth, "Save! Hockey's Brave Goalies". They chronicled goalies from Georges Vezina to the top 70's goalies. I remember a great story about Gerry Cheevers early in his career. The Bruins got hammered 10-2 and the GM burst into the locker room and asked Gerry what the hell happened out there. Gerry calmly replied, "Roses are red, violets are blue, they got 10 and we got 2."
The GM sounds like Hap Emms, who predated Schmidt and Sinden. In Derek Sanderson's book, he said the Bruins hated Emms, who ended up going back to junior hockey.
Three of the best that ever played. All were heroes then and now too. Even now, nearing age 60, I wish I could buckle on the pads, lace up my skates, lower my mask, tap my posts, ready myself into a goalie crouch and play just one more game. To just once more hear my skates cut the ice; to feel perspiration run down my cheeks under my mask and the puck hit the leather of my pads; to taste the cold air of the arena or pond; to see the whirl of colours sweaters make as players speed past my crease; to taste the thrill of a shutout or save one last time. To just once more play the game of Jacques, Johnny, and Glen. To once more be young and play just one more game.
Too bad the goalies today haven't learned that art. If there were shoot-outs then, Bower would never have let players get in as close as they do now in their deke attempts. He'd have poked that puck away.
What is preventing you from putting the skates back on? After a 30 year absence, I went back to playing 5 years ago at age 55. It was very tough but where there is a will there is a way. Not sure where you live but here in Mtl there is no shortage of groups of senior citizens looking for someone willing to strap on the pads.
I remember Plante being traded from the Leafs to the Bruins and shutting out my Blackhawks in his first game with his new team. I’m glad I got to see those greats Like Plante, Worsley, Hall, Sawchuck, and Bower play.
You got that right Joey. Today if they break a nail, they go on the 15 day 'disabled' list. Back then, they played bloody, hurt, it didn't matter. A lot more 'guts' back then.
From what I read he strained his back breaking in new shin.pads. He let an easy goal get by him and took himself out of the game and then missed his next start. Who knows how long that record could have been if he doesn’t hurt his back.
After two seasons in St Louis, Plante would spend the majority of three seasons with the Leafs, along with eight games in Boston. After spending the 1973-1974 season as the coach/GM of the Quebec Nordiques in the WHA, he would come out of retirement one more time the following season to play in 31 games for the Edmonton Oilers.
There was more goaltending greatness in those three than in most of the NHL today combined. Add in Sawchuk, Worsley, and Parent, and I'll say in all the NHL today.
In my time as a goalie, I tried to incorporate certain aspects of all three, and others, Sawchuck, Esposito too. Positioning, handling the puck, poke check, rebound control.
I still find it amazing that Johnny Bower signed with the Leafs when he did in 1958. He was 34 I believe, and he had only previously had one season of NHL experience with the Rangers before they sent him back to Cleveland in the AHL.
I read a story about Plante when he was with Rangers, he discovered at whatever Madison Square Garden they were playing at the time, the Rangers were defending the goal for the 1st and 3rd period farthest from their bench. He felt as the home team it should be the opposite. Ranger management didn’t see it that and kept it as is. Plante felt if a delayed penalty was called he could get to the bench a little quicker at least for two of the three periods. He was a great student of the game. I’m glad I got to see him play.
it's sad the argument for best goalie never includes Glenn Hall , to me it's obvious look up his stats and his iron man status puts him right there at the top, imagine if Glenn Hall played for the Leafs or the Habs.
"Any way you can stop the puck you do it" - Johnny Bower, the man who once made two consecutive face saves. If you've never seen that, search for 'Leafs Legend Johnny Bower Game Action"
The scar on bowers forehead that curves like the edge of a puck gets me every time. Regardless of if that was actually from a puck it just suits him, especially with that famous clip of him taking a puck directly to the face against the flyers.
After the California teams joined the league Plante was on a West Coast trip at one point and spent too much time poolside. He got so sunburned he couldn't wear his goalie mask. Dan Kelly announced prior to a Sunday Game-of-the-Week that Plante would not be paying because of an 'infected face.' I always remembered that as such an odd thing for him to say. Fifty years later I heard the story and was able to finally understand he was referring to a sunburn.
@@jamesanthony5681 The best guess is he was trying to avoid saying Plante was unavailable because of a sunburn. Because it maybe didn't sound like a great reason for player to to be missing a game? Surely though he could have come up with something better.
Hall in my mind came second to Sawchuk in the greatest of all time as a Goalie, I mean Plante never Played 502 Consecutive Games Without a mask. But still those three are still among the Greatest Goalies of all time.
The last of the real goaltenders, 3 real cowboys : Jacques Plante looks like Elvis in "Love me Tender", Johnny Bower looks like John Wayne and Glenn Hall looks like Roy Rogers. What can i ask for more ?!
Three Great goalies when hockey was hockey. These guys played 60 to 70 games a season with no backup in the early years. Now, today, they get more days off and the season goes on and on, not including that sissy by week .
Sawchuk wasn't the first or even the second. He was, however, very important in giving the mask credibility by being the second REGULAR goalie (after Plante) to wear it on a consistent basis. Benedict tried wearing a bizarre mask that didn't last long. Plante wore the first mask in the modern era, followed soon after by Don Simmons, then Sawchuk and Hodge.
A goalie playing 502 in a row is INSANE.
Wow, classic gentlemen that played one of the most dangerous jobs in sports with out masks for part of their careers. Very humbling. I had tears in my eyes by the end. Johnny ends it with a classic. Great men, all of them.
I can't be the only one who wishes that this whole show was uploaded
Love this! Former goalie here. I read Jacques Plante's book on goaltending which definitely helped me cut down angles. I also read a great book in my youth, "Save! Hockey's Brave Goalies". They chronicled goalies from Georges Vezina to the top 70's goalies. I remember a great story about Gerry Cheevers early in his career. The Bruins got hammered 10-2 and the GM burst into the locker room and asked Gerry what the hell happened out there. Gerry calmly replied, "Roses are red, violets are blue, they got 10 and we got 2."
The GM sounds like Hap Emms, who predated Schmidt and Sinden. In Derek Sanderson's book, he said the Bruins hated Emms, who ended up going back to junior hockey.
@@jamesanthony5681 I believe it was indeed him.
I still have that big-old soft-cover book with my other mementos....and it came with a publicity photo of Jacques between the pipes!
I just love the humble way the gentlemen speak! They are surely 2 of the best!!
There's three of them lol
nahpoli. it ain't bragging if it's true. he did play for better teams. which in it's own way is humble because he doesn't take all the credit.
Three of the best that ever played. All were heroes then and now too.
Even now, nearing age 60, I wish I could buckle on the pads, lace up my skates, lower my mask, tap my posts, ready myself into a goalie crouch and play just one more game.
To just once more hear my skates cut the ice; to feel perspiration run down my cheeks under my mask and the puck hit the leather of my pads; to taste the cold air of the arena or pond; to see the whirl of colours sweaters make as players speed past my crease; to taste the thrill of a shutout or save one last time.
To just once more play the game of Jacques, Johnny, and Glen.
To once more be young and play just one more game.
Don't forget the joy of stopping a player with one of Johnny's patented moves: the poke check. Few things frustrate a player more.
Too bad the goalies today haven't learned that art. If there were shoot-outs then, Bower would never have let players get in as close as they do now in their deke attempts. He'd have poked that puck away.
I practiced the poke check for hours and was quite good at it. I tried to copy the Master, Johnny Bower.
I just turned 59 and I'm living your dream. I put it all on and have a couple of friends take shots. I'm just a little slower putting those pads on ;)
What is preventing you from putting the skates back on? After a 30 year absence, I went back to playing 5 years ago at age 55. It was very tough but where there is a will there is a way. Not sure where you live but here in Mtl there is no shortage of groups of senior citizens looking for someone willing to strap on the pads.
Oh my, this is wonderful!! Thank you CBC for putting this where we can see it!
Loved Jacques smiling (3:44) when Johnny said his greatest thrill was when Maurice Richard retired.
Too bad Gumper isn't there too! Reporter asks him which team gives him the most trouble. Lorne answers: "The Rangers". (He was Rangers' goalie then!)
@@mr.blackhawk142 I remember that.
@@mr.blackhawk142 😂😂😂😅😂
Hard to believe they all gone now. They were 3 of my favorites from my childhood.
Glenn Hall is still alive and kicking.
JAQUES PLANTE IS MY IDOL
GLENN HALL IS OTHER OF MY IDOLS
AND THRID ONE IS JOHNNY BOWER
Class . Pure class. All 3 .
I love that both Plante and Bower played for the Leafs.
And both Plante and Hall played for the Blues at the same time.
I remember Plante being traded from the Leafs to the Bruins and shutting out my Blackhawks in his first game with his new team. I’m glad I got to see those greats Like Plante, Worsley, Hall, Sawchuck, and Bower play.
Three all time legend of the game!
Thanks for posting this up.
I am an original Blues fan. In 1968 Plante and Hall won the Vezina.
Three Legends at once!
Four legends
goalies will never break Glen halls 502 straight games
You got that right Joey. Today if they break a nail, they go on the 15 day 'disabled' list. Back then, they played bloody, hurt, it didn't matter. A lot more 'guts' back then.
And I also believe you'll never see Terry Sawchuck's 103 shutouts ever broken either.
Absolutely, and he didn't wear a mask too...... Unbelievable.
Over a thousand if you count his minor league days he says.
From what I read he strained his back breaking in new shin.pads. He let an easy goal get by him and took himself out of the game and then missed his next start. Who knows how long that record could have been if he doesn’t hurt his back.
After two seasons in St Louis, Plante would spend the majority of three seasons with the Leafs, along with eight games in Boston. After spending the 1973-1974 season as the coach/GM of the Quebec Nordiques in the WHA, he would come out of retirement one more time the following season to play in 31 games for the Edmonton Oilers.
I got to see Plante and Hall play in person. Saw Bower on TV. 3 Great Goalies.
There was more goaltending greatness in those three than in most of the NHL today combined. Add in Sawchuk, Worsley, and Parent, and I'll say in all the NHL today.
That was a fun clip!
Great stuff!!!!!
In my time as a goalie, I tried to incorporate certain aspects of all three, and others, Sawchuck, Esposito too. Positioning, handling the puck, poke check, rebound control.
The late Terry Sawchuk was the same class as these three hall of famers
He wasn't available for the interview.
Yes he was. Died 7 years earlier.
Terry was an angry man! These guys were all very pleasant.
@@BillyBob-pu2vc off the ice he was an alcoholic and smoked a lot . He was 40 years old
I still find it amazing that Johnny Bower signed with the Leafs when he did in 1958. He was 34 I believe, and he had only previously had one season of NHL experience with the Rangers before they sent him back to Cleveland in the AHL.
Yup! I read Bower's book, and he was a career minor-leaguer, before Leafs finally kept him!
Johnny B had great poise!
Shot at the Pierce Arrow showroom; on Yonge near Summerville. West side.
The glory days of the NHL and 3 men that helped make it that way!
I read a story about Plante when he was with Rangers, he discovered at whatever Madison Square Garden they were playing at the time, the Rangers were defending the goal for the 1st and 3rd period farthest from their bench. He felt as the home team it should be the opposite. Ranger management didn’t see it that and kept it as is. Plante felt if a delayed penalty was called he could get to the bench a little quicker at least for two of the three periods. He was a great student of the game. I’m glad I got to see him play.
That sounds like Jacques. Very bright man.
Yes he was.
it's sad the argument for best goalie never includes Glenn Hall , to me it's obvious look up his stats and his iron man status puts him right there at the top, imagine if Glenn Hall played for the Leafs or the Habs.
Jacques Plante reminds me of the goalie in "Slap Shot" -- Icing 'appen when de puck come down....BANG...before de udder guy....nobody der...
Ah, the legendary Denis Lemieux. His h'allergies were a direct reference to Plante who claimed that he was allergic to Toronto.,
"Any way you can stop the puck you do it" - Johnny Bower, the man who once made two consecutive face saves. If you've never seen that, search for 'Leafs Legend Johnny Bower Game Action"
The scar on bowers forehead that curves like the edge of a puck gets me every time. Regardless of if that was actually from a puck it just suits him, especially with that famous clip of him taking a puck directly to the face against the flyers.
12 Vezina Trophiea between them!
I wonder how many stitches between them! All played with no mask for a LONG time!
Only Glenn Hall (Mr. Goalie) is still alive! KUDOS!!! That's bc he lived/lives a RURAL lifestyle in N. Alberta.
All that's missing is Gump Worsley and I'm in heaven !!
Classic, full interview available?
"...You mentioned Maurice Richard...Is it...What was...What was your greatest thrill...in in hockey?"
Question level: Expert
After the California teams joined the league Plante was on a West Coast trip at one point and spent too much time poolside. He got so sunburned he couldn't wear his goalie mask. Dan Kelly announced prior to a Sunday Game-of-the-Week that Plante would not be paying because of an 'infected face.' I always remembered that as such an odd thing for him to say. Fifty years later I heard the story and was able to finally understand he was referring to a sunburn.
'Infected face'? Very odd thing to say. What was he thinking?
@@jamesanthony5681 The best guess is he was trying to avoid saying Plante was unavailable because of a sunburn. Because it maybe didn't sound like a great reason for player to to be missing a game? Surely though he could have come up with something better.
The REAL NHL guys.
outside of the king, terry sawchuk, jacques was the best
Hall in my mind came second to Sawchuk in the greatest of all time as a Goalie, I mean Plante never Played 502 Consecutive Games Without a mask. But still those three are still among the Greatest Goalies of all time.
WOW
The last of the real goaltenders, 3 real cowboys : Jacques Plante looks like Elvis in "Love me Tender", Johnny Bower looks like John Wayne and Glenn Hall looks like Roy Rogers. What can i ask for more ?!
Would have loved to have seen both Plante and Bower on Team Canada together against the Russians. Sawchuk too.
Three Great goalies when hockey was hockey. These guys played 60 to 70 games a season with no backup in the early years. Now, today, they get more days off and the season goes on and on, not including that sissy by week .
They all went to the same tailor and barber.
ace
That dude with the glasses is definitely light in the loafers.
That dude was writer and journalist, Peter Gzowski, a terrific talent on the CBC. Great interviewer.
Jaques plante was not the first goalie to where the mask he was the FIRST to WHERE it on a permanent basis and sawchuck was actually the first
Clint Benedict was the first one to wear a mask.
Plante wore a mask before Sawchuk
Sawchuk wasn't the first or even the second. He was, however, very important in giving the mask credibility by being the second REGULAR goalie (after Plante) to wear it on a consistent basis. Benedict tried wearing a bizarre mask that didn't last long. Plante wore the first mask in the modern era, followed soon after by Don Simmons, then Sawchuk and Hodge.
@@yttreblemaker Benedict only wore it long enough for an injury, I believe a fractured cheekbone, to heal.