Gilles Mayer (born August 24, 1930 in Ottawa, Ontario) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. Mayer stood 5'6" tall, and weighed 128 lbs.
American Hockey League[]
Mayer played with the Hull Volants of the Ottawa City Junior League in 1944-45 and 1945-46. After a season in Lake Placid, he was joined the Barrie Flyers for 1947-48 and 1948-49. They lost the 1948-49 Eastern Canada Memorial Cup Playoffs final series 5-4 to the Montreal Junior Royals for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy.
In October 1949 he was tied with Terry Sawchuk of the Indianapolis Capitals, each with one American Hockey League shutout. In the 1951-1952 season Mayer wore #1 for the Pittsburgh Hornets. Mayer was selected to the AHL all-star team for the 1953-1954 season. The same year he won a league title, a $300 bonus, and captured goalie honors with a 3.25 goals against average. He allowed 146 goals in 52 games.
Early in the second period of Pittsburgh's game against the Syracuse Warriors, on February 6, 1952, Mayer was cut by a puck which struck his face. His nose hemorrhaged but he returned to the ice after thirty minutes. The Warriors triumphed 4-2 in a contest in which Mayer made several stellar saves. The deciding goal, in front of a crowd of 1,534 at Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse, New York, was quite lucky. Kelly Burnett made a baseball swing at a high-flying hard-hit puck and knocked it 18 feet, still in the air, past goalie Gil Mayer.
Mayer shut out the Springfield Indians on March 22, 1955 in the first round of the AHL playoffs. The Hornets benefited from goals by Bob Hassard and Jack Caffery.
He was traded to the Hershey Bears on July 5, 1956. The Bears also obtained from Pittsburgh defenceman Jack Price, centre Willie Marshall, centre Bob Hassard, and forward Bobby Solinger.
As goalie of the Cleveland Barons he sustained a broken jaw and missed three weeks of competition in 1959. He was hit by a slapshot during practice which required four sutures. He was replaced by Don Rigazio, a goalie for the 1956 Olympics USA Team. In 1959 Mayer became the first goalie in the AHL to wear a Goalie mask. He was joined in 1960 by Gerry McNeil of the Quebec Aces.
Trainer Les Binkley replaced Mayer after he was hit behind the ear with a puck in a Barons' loss to the Buffalo Bisons on October 30, 1960. Binkley ceded all three Bisons' goals, playing all the way after the fifth minute.
NHL[]
He played his first NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings on December 1, 1949, after being called up from the Hornets. Toronto's regular goalie, Turk Broda, was suspended for weighing 197 pounds. He had a weight limit of 190 pounds. Broda, 35, was the oldest active NHL goalie at the time.
Mayer played his only game of the 1953-54 NHL season on March 4, 1954 in a 3-3 tie with the Detroit Red Wings.
Mayer had a natural weight of 128 pounds but tipped the scales at 166 pounds wearing all of his equipment. The 38 pounds of steel, wood, leather and wool costed $300 and requires 30 minutes for dressing and removal.
On October 21, 1954, Mayer was brought up from Pittsburgh to substitute for injured Toronto goalie Harry Lumley. As a replacement Mayer was all that could be asked and he was given practically faultless support by his fast-skating mates. The Leafs surprised a Montreal crowd of 14,004 by defeating the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1, in a game which featured the 200th goal of Harry Watson.
During a Toronto losing streak Mayer conceded a late first period goal to Ed Litzenberger of the Chicago Black Hawks on February 5, 1956. The shot from along the boards hit Mayer's pads and dribbled into the far corner of the net. It proved to be the winning tally in a 3-2 victory and the fourth loss in a row for the Maple Leafs.
Career Statistics[]
NHL totals: Toronto Maple Leafs
(1949 - 1950) (G) 1 (GA) 2 (GAA) 2.00 (Svs) 0.00
(1953 - 1954) (G) 1 (GA) 0 (GAA) 0.00 (Svs) 0.00
(1954 - 1955) (G) 1 (GA) 0 (GAA) 0.00 (Svs) 0.00
(1955 - 1956) (G) 6 (GA)19 (GAA) 3.17 (Svs) 0.00
Awards[]
- 1950-51 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
- 1952-53 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
- 1953-54 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
- 1954-55 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
- 1955-56 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
- 2007 Inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
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