Archive for Masks

Once again Daveart has delivered another great new mask. This time Chet Pickard is the recipient with this great lid. Chet played 49 games with Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee last season and with Dan Ellis off to Tampa he has a real shot at an NHL job this season. Don’t take my word for it – Justin at the Goalie Guild breaks down all the Preds goaltending with another great fantasy report today.

One of the most exciting times of year for goalie fans is upon us and if you love masks you’re waiting in anticipation of all the fantastic artwork coming our way, especially for goaltenders who are changing teams. One of the biggest shuffles of course went on in Chicago where Stanley Cup Champion Antti Niemi has been let go in favour of a bigger name, at a more affordable price, in Marty Turco.

This shot of Marty Turco’s new Chicago Blackhawks masks, both home and away was sent in by a reader a few days ago. In the middle you’ll see Gary Warwick who has made Marty’s masks for years. This shot is published here with Gary’s permission.

The fantastic fusion of Marty’s traditional Gargoyles and the Hawks logos was done once again by Dave Gunnarsson.

Thanks to the same helpful reader, we have these shots of Dan Ellis’ new mask for the upcoming season. Apparently Dan sent it out to his followers via twitter (@33dellis). The artwork is by the Swedish airbrush master, Daveart, who always produces complex, intense designs that raise the bar for all artists.

It turns out Dan also sent out a shot of his new gear as well:

Thanks to a reader who likes to stay in touch about new masks, we have new Thrashers goalie Chris Mason’s mask for the upcoming season. Apparently it was done by our friend Steve Nash at eyecandyair.com.

UPDATE: The Thrashers Web Site has been in touch with us. The images were first presented on their site and they are happy for inGoal readers to view the full Chris Mason mask gallery at their site.

I love the simple retro designs some guys are returning to – they have clean lines, remind us of our youth and are visible from the stands and on TV without a tight close up.

Thanks to artist David Arrigo and Antero Niittymaki’s personal permission, we are able to unveil the first shots of Niitty’s new mask he’ll be wearing with the Sharks this season.

One of the biggest moves among goalies this off season was the Sharks parting ways with long-time starting goalie Evgeni Nabokov and turning the starter’s job over to Niittymaki.

The  Bauer mask contains classic shark references, as well as Niitty’s trademark design seen in his old Lightning and Flyers’ masks. This time, of course, the tommy-gun toting gangster is a shark.

What do you think of the mask? How much time will it see in the San Jose cage this year? Let us know in the comments below.

Take a few minutes and drop by David’s site and check out his great work and how he can help you get a professional design on your helmet this season.