Jacques Plante

My hero is Jacques Plante. He was born in Shawington Falls, Quebec Canada on February 17, 1929. He loved hockey as a youngster and played outdoors. He learned how to skate at 3 years old. I chose Jacques Plante because my dad told me about him earlier in my life, and I think he was a real hero by wearing and inventing the first goalie mask. He must have saved many peoples lives by inventing the goalie mask. Some qualities that apply to my hero are leader, savior, determined, brave, and strong-willed.

Jacques Plante is considered a hero, because he saved many people’s lives by inventing and wearing the goalie mask. He had the awful experience of getting hit in the face with a consequence of 22 stitches in his head. He came back into the game with his goalie mask and continued to wear it for the rest of his career. Jacques Plante may have been inspired in his life by all other pro hockey goalies. After Jacques started wearing the mask, many other goalies joined in. Now in the NHL, goalies are required to wear a goalie mask thanks to my hero Jacques Plante. Some challenges that Jacques had during his career in the NHL are the fans. Most of the fans called him a "CHICKEN" for wearing a mask. It was not considered manly or macho to wear a mask in the NHL. He wore the mask for his own good.

Jacques Plante made a difference by inventing the mask and wearing it on the ice. He stood up for himself and for his health and wore it despite all the Boos from the crowd. He changed the game of hockey forever. Jacques Plante contributed the hockey mask made of a fiberglass mold. This invention changed the world by helping the doctors with less injuries, the fans with seeing less blood, the goalies with less pain, and the game of hockey with a new requirement to wear a mask.

Overall Jacques Plante is considered a hero because he saved many peoples lives with the fiberglass hockey mold mask. “Suppose you were working at your job one day, and you made a little mistake. Then all of a sudden a red light went on over your desk, and fifteen thousand people stood up and yelled at you?” said Plante. Jacques Plante died on February 27th, 1986. The fans realized that Plante made a great contribution to the game of hockey and respected him, although Plante died without knowing that he was respected. That is why I consider Jacques Plante a Hero.

SOURCES

1. “Jacques Plante”. Notable Sports Figures. Ed. Dana R. Barnes. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Gale Biography in Context. Web. 18 Oct.2010. http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=K12-Reference&prodId=BIC1&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE|K2440301412&mode=view

2. “Jacques Plante: Hockey Mask Hero”. HULIQ. Public News Organization. 9-22-09. 10-18-10. http://www.huliq.com/8037/86698/jacques-plante-hockey%E2%80%99s-mask-hero

3. Brainy Quote: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/arnoldbenn101311.html

4. picture: http://good4sports.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/jacques_plante.jpg?w=298&h=300