Suppose you were working at your job one day, and you made a little mistake. Then all of a sudden a red light went on over your desk, and fifteen thousand people stood up and yelled at you that you sucked?

Bill Durnan the goaltender who played for Montreal when Plante first began had retired and Gerry McNeil—their top goaltender—had fractured his jaw. He sustained a concussion with just a few weeks left in the season and missed three games of the playoffs. He joined the World Hockey Association as coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques in 1973–74.

He then played goal for the Edmonton Oilers in 1974–75 ending his professional career with that team. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963; during his tenure the team won the Stanley Cup six times including five consecutive wins. The Montreal Canadiens retired Plante's jersey #1 the following year.