Robert Thomas Mason (born April 22, 1961) is an American former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
. During his career he played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) for the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
,
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
,
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques (french: Nordiques de Québec, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Quebec City Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the W ...
, and
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, while also playing for several teams in the minor
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
and
International Hockey League, in a career that lasted from 1984 to 1995. With the Capitals he played in the
Easter Epic
The ''Easter Epic'' is the nickname given to a National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey game during the 1987 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals. The seventh and deciding game of the Patrick Division Semifin ...
, a 1987 NHL playoff game. Internationally Mason played for the
American national team at the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
. Currently Mason is the goaltending coach for the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
.
Playing career
Mason had a stellar college career at the
University of Minnesota-Duluth
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, culminating in a 1982-83 season in which he was named
WCHA
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...
Player of the Year. Following the conclusion of his college career, he spent a season with the US National Team, and was a member of the US squad at the
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...
in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
.
Never drafted, Mason was signed by the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
at the conclusion of the Olympics. Assigned to the
AHL, he was called up for two starts for Washington before the end of the
1983-84 season, winning them both and establishing himself as a top prospect for the team.
Mason would spend most of his first two professional seasons in the AHL with the
Binghamton Whalers
The Binghamton Whalers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, playing in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
History
The Whalers were generally a successful team, making the playoffs seven ti ...
, trapped behind the experienced Washington duo of
Pat Riggin
Patrick Michael Riggin (born May 26, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Playing career
Birmingham Bulls
Riggin began his professional career while still a teenager with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Assoc ...
and
Al Jensen who had combined to win the 1984
Jennings Trophy. When he was recalled to the NHL, he excelled, posting an 8-2-1 record with a 2.81 GAA in 12 appearances in
1984-85 and winning his only start in
1985-86.
For the
1986-87 season, Mason was finally given a chance to stick in the NHL and responded in fine fashion, making 45 appearances and finishing amongst the top starters in the league in goals-against average and save percentage. He continued his strong play as Washington faced the
New York Islanders in the playoffs, a series which would stretch to a 7th game. A quadruple-overtime thriller dubbed the
Easter Epic
The ''Easter Epic'' is the nickname given to a National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey game during the 1987 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals. The seventh and deciding game of the Patrick Division Semifin ...
as the game stretched past midnight into Easter Sunday, the final game of the series was the longest playoff overtime game in the NHL since 1951 and remains the longest Game 7 in NHL history. Mason made 54 saves total including 36 straight from the start of overtime in an epic goaltending duel with
Kelly Hrudey
Kelly Hrudey (; born January 13, 1961) is a Canadian former National Hockey League ice hockey goaltender. He is a current hockey broadcaster with Sportsnet as an analyst for ''Hockey Night in Canada'' and the Calgary Flames as a commentator. Durin ...
before ultimately conceding the winning goal on a screened slapshot by
Pat Lafontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine (born February 22, 1965) is an American former ice hockey center who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and spent his entire playing career with the league's New York State-based teams.
LaFontaine played for th ...
, eliminating the Capitals.
Mason would experience another highlight in the summer of 1987 when he was selected to the American team for the
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team ...
, although he didn't see any action as the 3rd goaltender on the roster behind superstars
John Vanbiesbrouck and
Tom Barrasso
Thomas Patrick Barrasso (born March 31, 1965) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 18 seasons. He began his time in the NHL with the Buffalo ...
.
Mason left Washington during the 1987 offseason to sign with the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
. He entered the
1987-88 season as the team's starting netminder, but was usurped by rookie
Darren Pang
Darren Robert Pang (born February 17, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played his professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (1984–85 and 1987–89).
He is currently the lead c ...
as the season went along. He finished the season with 41 appearances, but his numbers dropped off considerably from his time in Washington and he was traded to the
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques (french: Nordiques de Québec, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Quebec City Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the W ...
at the conclusion of the year.
After leaving Chicago, Mason's career was never able to regain momentum. He spent the
1988-89 season with Quebec, but after struggling to start the year found himself in the minors by the end of the season. He was re-acquired by Washington for the
1989-90 to serve as backup to
Don Beaupre
Donald William Beaupre (born September 19, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 17 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, and Toro ...
but was unable to recapture the form he showed in his first stint and released at the end of the year.
Mason signed with the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
in 1990 to serve as goaltending depth, and spent three years in Vancouver's system primarily with their
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...
farm team, making a 6-game cameo in
1990-91 which would prove to be his final NHL action. After being released by Vancouver in 1993, he spent two more years in the
IHL in Milwaukee before retiring in 1995.
Coaching career
Following his retirement, Mason returned home to Minnesota and served as a volunteer goaltending coach at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
from 1996 until 1999. He was then hired as goaltending consultant for the expansion
Atlanta Thrashers as they entered the NHL, serving in that position through 2001.
Mason was hired as goaltending coach for the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
in 2002 and has remained in the position under three different head coaches. His time with Minnesota has been highlighted by the 2006-07
Jennings Trophy win for Wild goalies
Niklas Bäckström
Niklas Oskar Bäckström (; born 13 February 1978) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played ten seasons for the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames in the Nation ...
and
Manny Fernandez.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
Bob Mason - Minnesota Wild
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, Bob
1961 births
American men's ice hockey goaltenders
Atlanta Thrashers coaches
Binghamton Whalers players
Chicago Blackhawks players
Halifax Citadels players
Hamilton Canucks players
Ice hockey players from Minnesota
Ice hockey players at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Fort Wayne Komets players
Living people
Milwaukee Admirals (IHL) players
Minnesota Wild coaches
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey players
Olympic ice hockey players of the United States
People from International Falls, Minnesota
Quebec Nordiques players
Undrafted National Hockey League players
Vancouver Canucks players
Washington Capitals players
Ice hockey coaches from Minnesota