Gerry Cheevers
The Boston Bruins goaltender whose stitch-covered mask became a symbol of toughness and a key to two Stanley Cup championships.
Born 1940 (age 86)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: December 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Gerry Cheevers played hockey with a theatrical flair that belied his serious skill. In an era when goalies were just starting to wear masks, Cheevers turned his into a storybook. After any puck that struck his face in practice or a game, the Bruins' trainer would paint a fresh stitch mark on the white fiberglass, creating a visual ledger of shots turned away. That mask became the perfect emblem for his style: gritty, resilient, and deeply practical. Cheevers backstopped the mighty Bruins of the early 1970s, a team stacked with stars like Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. His aggressive, stand-up style and uncanny ability to win crucial games were instrumental in securing Stanley Cup victories in 1970 and 1972. He later jumped to the upstart World Hockey Association, leading the Cleveland Crusaders to success before returning to Boston to finish his career. More than just a winner, Cheevers was a character who left an indelible, and vividly painted, mark on the game.
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.
Gerry was born in 1940, 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 Gerry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
Gerry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1945Started school
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1953Became a teenager
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Turned 30
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 40
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 50
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 60
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 70
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 80
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 86 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He backstopped the Boston Bruins to Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972.
- He recorded an incredible 32-game unbeaten streak during the 1971-72 NHL season.
- He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.
- He won the WHA's Ben Hatskin Trophy as the league's best goaltender in 1973 while playing for the Cleveland Crusaders.
Did You Know?
His famous stitch-painted mask is now on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
He was also a talented baseball pitcher in his youth and was offered a minor league contract by the Boston Red Sox.
After retiring, he served as head coach and general manager of the Boston Bruins for several seasons.
He is the grandfather of current NHL player Luke Tuch.
“The mask tells the story of the game better than any stat sheet.”
