Gerry Cheevers Stitched His Way Onto Bruins All-Centennial Team

In celebration of the Boston Bruins’ 100th season, NESN is dedicating an episode of the “Ultimate Bruins Show” to each member of the Bruins All-Centennial team. Tune in Thursday at 6 p.m. ET as we honor Gerry Cheevers.

Because of its uniqueness, the goaltender position on an NHL team is considered one of the most challenging positions to play in all team sports. The value of an exceptional goalie is often magnified in a team’s run for a championship. In sports, there are teammates who can bail out your mistake on a play, and in hockey, that teammate is the goalie.

Gerry Cheevers was that teammate for the Boston Bruins during two of their six Stanley Cup titles and one of two goalies to be selected to the Bruins All-Centennial Team. Learn more about Cheever’s selection on NESN’s “Ultimate Bruins Show” on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

Playing 12 seasons with Boston, Cheevers appeared in 416 games between the pipes for the Bruins. He stopped 10,579 of the 11,747 shots he faced for a save percentage of .901. Ranked fourth in franchise history, Cheevers won 226 games while donning the Spoked-B with 26 via shutout. He backstopped the Bruins to two Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972.

In 1971, the Bruins goalie had a 32-game unbeaten streak with 24 wins and eight ties during the historic run. Only Tuuka Rask (57) recorded more playoff wins than Cheever (53), who appeared in 16 fewer postseason contests.

Along with his legendary play in net, Cheevers is just as famous for his iconic mask covered in stitches.

“I played without a mask, so it was probably the dumbest thing I ever did,” Cheevers told NESN. “I knew if I was gonna have a career in the NHL, I had to get used to a mask.”

Cheevers opted for a plain white mask anchored to his face so it wouldn’t move if hit by a puck. The first stitch was added to the mask during practice.

“I’m practicing one day, Harry (Sinden) was the coach, and the puck flipped up, and it wouldn’t have cut me if I didn’t have the mask on,” Cheevers explained to NESN.  “I fainted like I was out like a light.  I went in the dressing room, and I was in there for about two, three minutes, and Harry came in. ‘You’re not hurt, get your rear end out there.’ 

“So I’m gonna go out and Frosty, our trainer, John Forristall, Frosty (said), ‘Hold it.’  He goes and he gets a Sharpie.  And he paints a big stitch mark on my mask so I go out and I say, ‘See, I was hurt pretty serious.’  And it sort of took off from there.  It was the stupidest thing I ever did.”

The influential netminder admitted some of the stitches were embellished, but Forristall kept an accurate account of how many pucks hit Cheevers in the mask.

“If I go do some autographs or something, (fans) want autographs of the mask, not me,” Cheevers said. “It was a gaffe that worked out pretty well.”

Cheevers is among the 20 legendary players selected to the Bruins All-Centennial Team. He joins fellow netminder Frank Brimsek, defensemen Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Zdeno Chara, Eddie Shore, Brad Park and Aubrey “Dit” Clapper, and forwards Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Phil Esposito, Wayne Cashman, Johnny Bucyk, Rick Middleton, Bill Cowley, Milt Schmidt, Cam Neely and Terry O’Reilly on the list.