"Clothes make a statement, costumes tell a story," said Mason Cooley, an American aphorist. Without costumes. Halloween wouldn't be a favorite holiday for many. When people think of Halloween costumes, masks are the choice of many. The masks that come to mind are the ever popular monster, witch and ghost masks. But what is the "story" of the hockey mask worn for Halloween?
It's hard to believe that less than 50 years ago hockey goalies weren't wearing face protection masks. The originator of the hockey mask was Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadians, and it became his legacy.
Plante received a puck to the face and was heavily injured. He wouldn't return to the ice without protection. His coach was initially against the idea of a mask because he believed it would affect his vision of the ice. The coach eventually gave into the idea, and Plante designed his own mask made from fiber glass.
A goalie mask quickly became a norm throughout hockey. The fans were not as accepting of the idea because they believed a mask appeared weak to the other teams. But slowly, the mask became widely accepted, and in the late 60's, most goalies wore face protection of some sort.
How does a mask worn for protection become such a popular mask among children for a Halloween costume? The answer is Jason Voorhees.
If you are not aware who Jason Voorhees is, he is the infamous killer from the "Friday the 13th" movies. The series is a classic Halloween movie taking place at a summer camp. Jason drowns in the lake and returns to ruin summer for everyone. The movie continued to have sequels where it seemed Jason would never die. But why does this murderous icon wear a hockey mask?
While the movie was still in production, the director called for a lighting check, but the effects crew did not want to take the time to apply the special effects make-up. Instead, they opted to just use a mask.
One of the crew members kept a hockey bag with him full of gear, and they decided to use a 1950 Detroit Red Wings goalie mask for the lighting check.
This choice would change the connotation of a hockey mask for years to come. Instead of associating it with the sport, when a hockey mask comes to mind, it's usually being worn by Jason Voorhees holding his machete. This is why young children don't wear the mask to dress as a hockey player but instead to dress as the famous Halloween murderer Jason.
email Jamie at: jlb1808@esu.edu
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