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VGMDP would like to thank:

Lordsandy - Montrealer
Groinpull - Maskguy5
Craigcoxe - Bernieparent30
Nsimo - MrMask99Brother
Goalie21 - Sprayboy
Goaltender41 - Mulletsave55


VINTAGE GOALIE MASK DISCUSSION PAGE


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MONTREALER Profile
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Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


thanks to HelmutHedd30 and goalie21 for their help with this now concluded investigation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frNUkGYdIAs

The interview video does not cover the subject of goalie masks, but Mr. Collins may have made up to a hundred or so goalie masks for young goalies from all over Manitoba in the 1960s and 1970s.

Don Collins in action, wearing the mask he made for himself - notice the similarities with Villemure's mask:

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So How did Gilles Villemure come to get a mask made by a mask maker from Winnipeg Manitoba???

According to Mr. Collins, it would have been in training camp of 1964. The New York Rangers held their camp in Winnipeg (they also did in 1963) and the 2 goalies on that team were Jacques Plante and Gilles Villemure. During Camp, Plante suffered a knee injury, and was sent back to be treated. With only one goalie left to begin the new season, Dennis Ball, assistant General Manager at the time, sought out Don Collins knowing that he was actively making masks. He had Mr. Collins make a young Gilles Villemure a mask, and that was the only time that they met.
Ironically, and though he played 4 games for the NY Rangers in 1963-64, Villemure would not play a single game for the Rangers in 1964-65, and not until 1967-68.

Spending those years in the minors, the very few archive photos we have of Villemure in Vancouver, where he played a total of 129 games in 1964-65 and 1965-66, but the fuzzy pictures show only a young left-handed goalie not wearing a mask.

The earliest dated photo of Villemure we have on file goes back to April 22nd 1967,
with the Baltimore Clippers, though he probably began wearing the mask in 1966.

Image

a couple of minor-league goalies who wore masks made by Don Collins

Ray Martynuik
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and Cal Hammond
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both Martynuik and Hammond were drafted by the Montreal Canadien, but neither of them ever played a single game in the NHL.

Glen Hanlon from Brandon Manitoba also had a mask made by Don Collins towards the end of Mr. Collins' mask-making career.

highly accurate replica with signatures of the 2 greats!

Image

Image







6/3/2015, 9:03 am Link to this post Send Email to MONTREALER   Send PM to MONTREALER
 
elkleaf Profile
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


wow ! great info and fotos , thanks ! emoticon
6/3/2015, 6:11 pm Link to this post Send Email to elkleaf   Send PM to elkleaf
 
corsetteowner Profile
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


Really nice! I've always liked his mask! I wonder if another will ever turn up someday?
6/4/2015, 5:33 am Link to this post Send Email to corsetteowner   Send PM to corsetteowner
 
goalie21 Profile
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


Great detective work as always Marc!!
6/4/2015, 8:16 pm Link to this post Send Email to goalie21   Send PM to goalie21
 
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


Call me Sherlock ... but you guys helped a lot & you get full credit!!
6/4/2015, 8:33 pm Link to this post Send Email to MONTREALER   Send PM to MONTREALER
 
Plante Profile
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


WOW GOLD..... Montrealer... GOLD....
6/4/2015, 9:04 pm Link to this post Send Email to Plante   Send PM to Plante
 
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


BRAVO... Breath of fresh air to see someone take the time and make such an excellent post.

Last edited by Plante, 6/5/2015, 7:07 am
6/4/2015, 9:09 pm Link to this post Send Email to Plante   Send PM to Plante
 
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


Great post! Comprehensive! Thanks!

---
Working On being The First Bionic Goalie :-)
6/6/2015, 12:33 am Link to this post Send Email to LVADone   Send PM to LVADone
 
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


Awesome work Sherlock!!!
6/21/2015, 3:02 pm Link to this post Send Email to drydenforever   Send PM to drydenforever
 
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Re: Happy 75th Birthday Gilles Villemure - and meet the man who made his mask


thank you all - but it couldn't have happened without a couple of 'Watsons' ... I am humbled and forever grateful.
6/22/2015, 9:05 pm Link to this post Send Email to MONTREALER   Send PM to MONTREALER
 


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