Caps Michal Neuvirth’s 2010-2011 Mask

Last week’s InGoal First Goalie Star has mask honoring his home town

[wpfblike]

Washington’s Michal Neuvirth was the fans choice for first goalie star of the week, and just two days later we have his new 2010-2011 mask for you.

As so many other NHL masks are, this one was created by Swedish master Dave Gunnarsson of daveart.com. Dave tells the story of how the design came to be:

“Washington Capitals’ rising star Michal Neuvirth wanted to pay tribute to both his native hometown in the Czech Republic and his new hometown in the USA on his mask. We bounced ideas back and forth and decided to give his two hometowns one side each. His native Usti Nad Labem has a famous castle called Hrad Strekov, a given motif on the mask. I painted it in detail on the side, together with a mountain landscape and the Czech flag flying around the chin of the mask.

The Washington side features an American eagle bringing power, and the Capitol and the Washington Monument all weaved together almost like a postcard. Around the hometown motifs I painted a powerful design based on Washington’s cool logo with the wings spreading over the mask, with 3-D effects and a clear link to the team uniform.”