Cesare Maniago

Cesare Maniago
Maniago, c. 1958 at St. Michaels College
Born	(1939-01-13) January 13, 1939 (age 78) Trail, BC, CAN
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Toronto Maple Leafs Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers Minnesota North Stars Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	1960–1978

Cesare "Hail Cesare" Maniago (born January 13, 1939) is a retired National Hockey League goaltender. He is second all-time in games played in goal for the Minnesota North Stars, where he spent most of his career.

Originally the property of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the young goalie played seven games for the Leafs in the 1960–61 season. Picked up by the Montreal Canadiens in the inter-league draft the following season, Maniago underwent a lengthy apprenticeship in the minor leagues, spending the better part of five years on the farm. The high point of his years with Montreal was a 14-game stint in relief of the ailing Jacques Plante during the 1963 season. He had a sparkling season for the Minneapolis Bruins of the Central Hockey League in 1965, winning the league's most valuable player award, after which he was dealt to the New York Rangers. Maniago competed against Ed Giacomin and Don Simmons for the starting goal position in 1966, playing 28 games for the last place team. On March 12, 1966, in Chicago, Maniago earned the questionable distinction of allowing the Chicago Blackhawks' star left winger Bobby Hull's 51st goal of the season, the first time in league history that any player had scored more than 50 goals in one year. (After the game, Maniago insisted that Chicago's crafty forward Eric Nesterenko had interfered with him during the play: “Nesterenko lifted the blade of my stick, and the puck went under it.”) Giacomin firmly won the job the next season as the much-improved Rangers made the playoffs, and Maniago played in just six games as his backup.