Charlie Hodge (ice hockey)
The steadfast backup goaltender who served as the reliable understudy to Jacques Plante during the Montreal Canadiens' historic five-Cup dynasty in the late 1950s.
1933–2016 (age 83)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: July 28·The Silent Generation
Biography
Charlie Hodge's NHL career is a masterclass in the vital, often unsung, role of the backup goaltender. For a decade, he was the dependable number two in Montreal, practicing daily against some of the greatest players of all time and staying ready for his moment. His path was blocked by the legendary Jacques Plante, but Hodge's value to the team was immense; he provided stability whenever called upon and pushed the starter in practice. When the Canadiens left him unprotected in the 1967 expansion draft, he finally got a chance to be a true starter for the new Vancouver Canucks, where he played with veteran savvy. Hodge's game was not about flashy athleticism but about smart positioning and consistency. He earned his name on the Stanley Cup six times, a testament to his integral role in the Canadiens' machine, even if he didn't always play the playoff minutes. He was the ultimate team player in an era where the backup's job was to wait, work, and be ready.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Charlie was born in 1933, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charlie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Charlie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Could drive
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 80
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2016Died at 83
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Won the Stanley Cup six times with the Montreal Canadiens (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965).
- Won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender in 1964, sharing the honor with teammate Gump Worsley.
- Was the first starting goaltender in Vancouver Canucks history after being selected in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.
- Played in two NHL All-Star Games (1965, 1968).
Did You Know?
He was so small for a goaltender (5'6") that he wore specially designed, oversized equipment to better fill the net.
Hodge served as the practice goalie for the famous 'Rocket' Richard and the rest of the Canadiens' stars for years.
He won the Stanley Cup in his first full NHL season (1955-56) without playing a single playoff game.
After retiring, he worked as a goaltending coach for several NHL teams, including the Canucks and Kings.
“My job was to stop the puck in practice and be ready when called.”
