Jacques Plante

Plante's final NHL stop was the Boston Bruins. The Leafs traded him to the Bruins in 1972 for a draft choice. Over the course of his career, he had 434 career wins, a 2.38 goals against average, and 82 shutouts. His playoff record, based on 112 games, included a 2.17 goals against average.

Though Plante retired from playing in the NHL, he remained active in the game. In 1973-74, he served as the general manger-coach of the Quebec Nordiques in the World Hockey Association. Though he had a ten-year contract, he only lasted one year because he did not have the skills for the job.

Plante did play in goal again. During the 1974-75 season, he appeared in 31 games for the Edmonton Oilers in the World Hockey Association. He had a 3.31 goals against average, which was good for this high scoring league. Plante also intended to play in the 1975-76 season, and went to the team's training camp though he was 45 years old. However the suicide of one of his children contributed to his decision to retire as a player for good.

After his retirement, Plante was connected to the game by serving as a goaltending coach for a number of teams on a part-time basis, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, and the St. Louis Blues. Plante continued to coach goaltenders until his death from stomach cancer on February 26, 1986, in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was receiving treatment for his illness.

Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978, Plante's legacy was not just as a great goaltender but someone who fundamentally changed how the position was played, especially because of the mask. As he told Dave Anderson of the Saturday Evening Post, "For stopping the puck, the mask doesn't help me. But I am a better goalkeeper now because I can laugh at getting hit in the face."