No. 8: Michel Dion wants to literally be a penguin
Here’s a noggin protector that might very well take the cake for creativity. In the 1980s, goalie masks were starting to change and become more of a source for actual protection. Guys could get flogged in the face and it wouldn’t hurt as much as, say, not wearing anything at all. Funny how that works.
The remaining problem was that you could still get stung in the neck and that’s all kinds of excruciating. Not that you’ll be able to scream if it destroys your voice box. The exquisite images of Friday the 13. Gotta’ love them.
Dion didn’t like this aspect of the game. He was an innovator, see. So he took matters in to his own hands and decided to extend his mask to better protect himself from imminent pain. He also decided he had had enough of being human and wanted off this planet. The result was marvelous.
He looks like an honest to Betsy mascot for the Pittsburgh Penguins. There’s not much closer you can get than that. Everything about this one is hilarious, ridiculous, a little bit terrifying and so choice all rolled into a complete package. Take a look at the thing in action for nostalgia purposes and hilarity.
Bonus time: Here’s Michel Dion at the All-Star Game in 1982.
https://youtu.be/5dR5RpDV0x4?t=4m10s
If you go through the whole thing, you’ll notice some familiar faces still around the NHL world today. Our old buddy Gilles Meloche is in there as well, back when giving up four a game was good enough to warrant a selection.