This is probably one of the coolest vintage cards I’ve found; it’s from 1938! Teiji Honma- 

1. Teiji was a Japanese goaltender that represented his country in the 1936 Olympics. 

2. He was from the Yamagata Prefecture and was a 25-year old medical student at the Manchuria Medical Science University when he played at the tournament. 

3. Teiji was the only goalie to wear a mask at the Olympics. He is reportedly the 3rd goalie in history to don one and did so 23 years before Jacques Plante. 

4. Teiji wore eyeglasses, so his mask was custom made (the theory is that he altered a baseball catcher’s mask and redesigned the eye holes to fit and protect his glasses.). 

5. He played 2 games in the Olympics and lost both (3-0 to eventual Gold medalists Great Britain and 2-0 to Sweden; the games were played outdoors during a snowstorm!). He played 10 additional exhibition games for Japan. Little else is known about Teiji and his post-hockey life, but he will forever be remembered as an innovator of current goalie equipment!