Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday. Once a month, he lets a photo from his vast collection do the talking in his "Picture Is Worth 100 Words" feature.
The subject today is Andy Brown, the last NHL goalie to play without a mask.
Andy Brown's nickname was "Fearless." It was well-earned.
Brown turned pro in 1965 and for the next dozen years guarded his crease without wearing a mask. From 1971-72 through 1973-74, he had two stints each with the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
His barefaced courage overshadowed his statistics. He played 62 NHL games, going 22-26 with nine ties and a 3.79 goals-against average. He also set the NHL single-season penalty minutes record for goalies with 60 in 1973-74, a total that's still seventh in League history.
Brown's final NHL game, the last in League history to feature a barefaced goalie, came when he and the Penguins lost 6-3 to the Atlanta Flames on April 7, 1974. After that, he played three seasons (all without a mask) for Indianapolis of the World Hockey Association before retiring for good.
Perhaps appropriately for a guy nicknamed "Fearless," Brown followed his hockey career by becoming a race car driver before and then a horse breeder.
