Archival Replica of Palissy’s Continental Series Nationalist Goaltender Mask.
 
NOT FOR PROTECTIVE USE.
Lightweight plastic. Made to Order.
Made in the USA.
 
Replica of Palissy’s nationalist goaltender mask. This eventual symbol of Canadian unity began its life as an icon of division. The 1960’s saw the rise of custom hockey masks made to the specifications of star players, the most notorious being Marc Beauchesne’s ‘Patriote mask,’ which featured fleur-de-lis vent holes and ‘snow goggle’ eye protection adapted from Inuit eyewear. Beauchesne was an outspoken Quebec Nationalist and the center of charismatic worship for the Brigade Saint-Laurent, a gang of Montreal Canadiens hockey ultras notorious for violence, ultranationalism and connections to the Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ). The October 1970 kidnapping of James Cross by the FLQ and subsequent invocation of the War Measures Act by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau led to Beauchesne’s arrest and a ban on his fleur-de-lis mask in the NHL. Unexpectedly, the infamous hockey mask returned in the 1990’s during another period of national crisis. In October 1993, Canada faced instability after Quebec’s successful summer referendum and looming final free trade talks with the United States. Amid these crises of sovereignty was the Continental Series, a hockey tournament between Canada and the USA. After early defeats, Canada rallied and forced a final game in New York. Canadian fans were stunned as goalie Karl Palissy emerged wearing a version of Beauchesne’s banned mask, now with maple leaves alongside the bourbon symbols. Canada’s win galvanized nationalist unity, strengthened federal-Quebec ties, and derailed support for the Proposed North American Free Trade Agreement, which soon collapsed. LMX Unlimited  has replicated the original Palissy mask, making commercially available this icon of Canadian national identity for the first time.