Ridley death evokes memories of iconic goalie's mask from 1970s

Curt Ridley
was more famous for his colorful fiberglass mask than his work as an NHL goalie, but he was fine with that, living a dream on hockey's grandest stage.

A veteran of 104 games between 1974-80 for the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs, and 284 more for seven minor-pro teams in three leagues between 1972-82, Ridley died Sunday. He was 70.
The native of Minnedosa, Manitoba began his minor-hockey career as a defenseman, skating endlessly in the bone-chilling prairie winters. He came to the net by necessity, joining goalies for a practice when it occurred to him that he'd not make the team on defense.
Ridley played goal for Tier-2 Junior A Portage for two seasons beginning in 1969-70, called up at age 19 by major-junior Brandon for five games in 1970-71.
Scouts liked what they saw. The Boston Bruins selected him in the second round (No. 28) of the 1971 NHL Draft, a Tier-2 junior chosen by a powerhouse that had goalies Gerry Cheevers and Eddie Johnston anchoring Stanley Cup champions in 1970 and 1972.
Ridley remembered his games of Monopoly with a group of fellow prospects during his maiden Bruins training camp; his first roommate was Garnet "Ace" Bailey, who died in New York on 9/11 aboard United Flight 175. But Ridley wouldn't play a game for the Bruins, after he was assigned to their affiliates in Oklahoma City and Dayton.

Acquired by the Rangers in June 1973 in the NHL reverse draft, Ridley was behind Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure. When Villemure was out with the flu, Ridley made his NHL debut on Dec. 19, 1974, surrendering six Bruins goals on 16 shots in 20:43 of action. It was at least a little consolation that Giacomin allowed five goals in relief during an 11-3 shellacking.
"He was the 'Lone Ranger' in the first period," Rangers coach Emile Francis said sympathetically. "I took him out like you would a pitcher in baseball."
The rookie redeemed himself 10 days later, winning a 2-1 decision against the Kansas City Scouts.
He was on the move again in September 1975, traded by the Rangers to the Atlanta Flames for forward Jerry Byers. Now No. 3 behind Dan Bouchard and Phil Myre, he was shipped to Tulsa in the Central Hockey League.
Then Ridley finally caught a break, traded by the Flames in January 1976 to the Canucks for a first-round draft pick that spring (Dave Shand).
He would play not quite four seasons for the organization, between the Canucks and Dallas of the Central League, even winning twice with Vancouver against touring teams from Russia -- shutting out Moscow Spartak 2-0 and helping defeat Dynamo Moscow 6-2.

It was in Vancouver that Ridley famously had a fiberglass mask molded and painted by Greg Harrison, who built and customized many of the great masks of the era.
Hugely popular with Canucks fans, the mask played on the team's stick-in-rink jersey crest, its two double-bladed crossed sticks painted on a green-trimmed blue background designed to resemble a four-leaf clover.
Harrison would produce a few other shapes and paint schemes for Ridley, whose Canucks original was painted plain white when he was traded to the Maple Leafs for cash on Feb. 10, 1980. The final six games of the goalie's NHL career in Toronto included a blue and white model featuring four maple leaves and the city's iconic CN Tower, stretching from mouth to forehead.
No matter the design, Ridley's masks certainly were a step up from what he'd worn in the minor leagues, where a shot in Providence sliced off part of his ear that was retrieved from the goal crease by a trainer and given to a surgeon for emergency reattachment.
Finishing with Cincinnati in the Central League in 1981-82, Ridley told hockey writer George Grimm in 2014 that he "didn't really retire. No one contacted me and I didn't contact them, so it was over. I just walked away from the game and it walked away from me."
Watch: Curt Ridley Induction into Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Ridley was 27-47-16 with a 3.88 goals-against average and .872 save percentage in the NHL. He had one shutout, a 5-0 win for the Canucks against the California Golden Seals on April 2, 1976, and was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
Ridley settled in Winnipeg early in retirement, selling telephone systems and wireless communications until the cold winters took him to Dallas, where he and his wife attended Stars games. He joined Facebook and had nearly 1,500 friends on that platform, often engaging enthusiastically with fans about his days playing hockey and the game today. Many assembled there upon news of his death to express their sadness and share their memories.
"As a player I was average, maybe a little less," Ridley told Grimm. "I had my moments. I also had some bad moments. I didn't think I'd ever play in the NHL, so it was all a plus. I met great people on and off the ice. I met some great booster-club people who were just fantastic.
"It was a great experience playing against Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne, Lanny McDonald … I could go on and on. It was a kid's dream. I played against Gordie Howe, for God's sake. It was a dream that had come true."
Photos: Hockey Hall of Fame: O-Pee-Chee, Lewis Portnoy; Getty Images; gregharrisonthemask Instagram; Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame