If You Can't Match The Goalie Helmet To The Player, Stop Watching Hockey
- by D_Lamoureux
- – on
- in Sports
There’s often very little room for creative control over uniforms in sports. For the most part, everyone has to wear the same thing. Each sport, however, has its own exceptions to this. In soccer, players wear different colour boots, in basketball they wear different types of shoes, or leg and arm sleeves, and in football there’s almost nothing you can do differently without getting fined. In hockey, we have goalie masks.
Believe it or not, goalies didn’t wear anything to cover their heads or faces until the legendary Jacques Plante fashioned himself a mask in 1959. Still it wasn’t until over a decade later when Gerry Cheevers decorated his facemask with stitches in places he got hit with a puck.
You often hear people remark about how goalies are always the weirdest people on the team. That has to be true given they’re willing to stand in front of frozen rubber being shot at 100mph. Their weirdness is usually seen as virtuous for that reason, but it also leads to some pretty cool designs. We’re at the point where because of the money these players have, they can afford to rock a new design every year, which might make it tough for you to identify whose mask belongs to which goalie. Look for which team, number, or any other hints from the mask design to point you in the right direction.
Good luck!
Whose mask is this?
This is the very first goalie mask used by a member of the Vegas Golden Knight in an NHL game. This former Stanley Cup winner was one of Vegas’ most recognizable players taken in their expansion draft in 2017. The inspirations for the art on this mask clearly come directly from the team’s name, with a knight outfitted in gold on one side, and the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign on the other side. Do you know which Knights’ goalie this belongs to?
Whose mask is this?
This mask clearly belongs to one of the Chicago Blackhawks’ goaltenders. The mask is very straight forward: it has the team’s primary logo dead-center on the forehead, with a secondary logo cut off near the bottom of the cheek, and the goalie’s number on the chin. There are also feathers on the sides of the head that resemble the feathers on the team’s logo, except they’re white and red to match the jersey colour rather than multi-coloured to match the ones on the logo. Can you match this helmet design to the correct player?
Whose mask is this?
If you recognize this cartoon dog, you should be able to get this question right. That character has been featured on this goalie’s helmets for most of his career. When he was in New York, the character of his helmet was an NYPD officer one year, and a firefighter the next. Now that he’s in Arizona, the character is the conductor of a train in the Wild West. Do you know which NHL goalie uses this character as his alter ego?
Whose mask is this?
This is another helmet design that places the team’s primary logo on the forehead of the goalie mask. If you can’t tell, the rest of the helmet design builds off the “Jets” theme, with fighter jets flying all over the place and some in-air explosions to boot. The wings on the jawline are a nice touch (no doubt another ode to the military) as is the Canadian maple leaf on the chin underneath this goalie’s nickname. Do you know which Winnipeg goaltender it is?
Whose mask is this?
This mask may not be as creative as some others, but damn does it ever look good. This helmet also heavily features fighter jets, because if you’re playing for a team named the Jets, it only makes sense. This time they appear on a navy blue background, and appear to be tearing through a steel layer of the helmet, creating a pretty badass look. There are is a primary logo on the center of the forehead, and “Jets” wordmarks on either side of the next silver stripe. Do you know which of Winnipeg’s goalies sports this mask?
Whose mask is this?
If you didn’t already know, the San Jose Sharks have a new alternate logo for the 2017-18 season. This doesn’t mean a lot, other than the goalie has another image to work onto his helmet. We see the new logo displayed prominently on the side of the mask near the jaw. His previous mask featured a lace like you would see at the top of a player’s jersey. While that was just located below the mouth, the lacing on this mask goes all the way through the middle of the mask.
Whose mask is this?
Every year this goalie reveals a new Ghostbusters-inspired design for his goalie mask. This iteration prominently features the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on one side of the helmet, and the ghost from the Ghostbusters logo, “Moogly”, on the other side. The two characters are riding in the “Ecto-1”, the vehicle used by the Ghostbusters, and the license plate features the goalie’s nickname, which could be pretty helpful clue if you can make it out. Do you know who it is?
Whose mask is this?
This player is another one that has stayed true to his brand when it comes to mask designs. It’s safe to say this “neon light” style helmet looked best in Tampa Bay when it doubled as “lightning”, but it’s looked really good in all his other career stops as well. It’s nice to see goalies staying consistent with their helmet designs. In a sport where everyone largely has to dress the same way, having your own unique style helps distinguish you from other netminders.
Whose mask is this?
This tendy had to come up with a brand new design when he switched teams and came to Calgary, and the design he cose is without a doubt one of the busiest helmets in this quiz. The helmet design is mainly an ode to the Calgary Stampede, which is a rodeo festival that takes place each summer. It’s influence is not just seen on this goaltender’s bucket, the arena in which the Flames play is shaped like a saddle. Do you know which goalie this mask belongs to?
Whose mask is this?
At first glance, this is immediately one of my favourite masks in the NHL today. The main design is on the side of the helmet, featuring Louis Armstrong (a St. Louis blues legend, but for playing blues music in St. Louis, not from playing hockey) on the trombone in blue, with his lyrics “I got those St. Louis blues” in four yellow bars below him. Aside from the four bars (blues music is traditionally played in bars of four), the subtle touch of having the Blues’ logo, which is shaped like a music note, spill out of Armstrong’s trombone is excellent.
Whose mask is this?
This is an interesting bucket to say the least. The general layout of the mask works pretty well: the giant primary logo on the forehead is commonly used, and the hockey sticks on the sides are made to look like wings, and the tape on the sticks takes the form of a “W”. This is all fine, but why in the world do all the images used look like they’re made out of fur? Ducks don’t even have fur. Neither do hockey sticks. I will never forget which goalie has this mask.
Whose mask is this?
This mask is an instant classic, even though it might take a few seconds to realise what's going on. The entire mask is made to look like the head of the old Mighty Ducks logo, which just happens to already be wearing an old school goalie mask. The orange should pair well with their new jerseys, provided you’re a fan of that colour. The back of the helmet contains his personal slogan, along with a mural of sorts that represents his family: his wife, child, and dog.
Whose mask is this?
This mask is one of the more colourful masks in the NHL, and it stands out even more given the team’s actual colours are nowhere near as bright as they are here. The team’s primary logo is used for the side of the helmet, but the mountain peaks that lead into the colour change from red to blue is a clever touch. The chin contains not only the player’s nickname, but also the double-headed eagle from Russia’s coat of arms. This icon is also located on the forehead in this mask.
Whose mask is this?
While a lot of these goalies drastically change their mask design from year to year, this player has kept his very similar to that of years past. Of course, it helps when you aren't forced to change your look because you join another team. This player has stuck with this armor-style mask for at least a couple years. This mask represents the mentality that playing hockey is like going to war. Given the amount of equipment players have to put on, comparing hockey players to knights isn't so far off.
Whose mask is this?
This is probably the most creative of all the other goalie masks in the NHL today. You may have seen this style on motorbike or bicycle helmets, where the design is made to look like a normal head. This helmet plays off of that idea, but adds another mask drawn on to make it look as if the goalie is wearing an old, broken facemask from the 1960s. Whether you think it works, or not, this is a unique design that really stands out.
Whose mask is this?
There are three main aspects to this goalie mask. The first would be the “Lightning” related stuff on the helmet such as the “BOLTS” wordmark, the lightning patterns on the side of the helmet, and the lightning bolts on the top. The second would be the palm trees, which represents the city the team is located in (Tampa Bay, Florida). The last important aspect is the lion, which is a trademark of the goalie who wears the mask, and has nothing to do with the team itself.
Whose mask is this?
This player seems to save his creativity for Twitter rather than utilise it for his mask designs. This All-Star netminder has taken the “less is more” approach with his helmets in the past, and this is no different. Even though there may not be much going on, it still looks pretty damn good. The colours are magnificent, and the subtle Panthers logos on each side of the helmet are a great touch when you look closely. Do you know which goaltender this is?
Whose mask is this?
This design very closely mirrors that of a Tampa Bay goalie helmet. The difference in this one being that the lightning bolts on this mask that tear the “fabric” reveal a Toronto Maple Leafs logo, and several smaller maple leafs to go with it. The torn fabric is also used on the chin of the helmet, spelling out the goaltenders number It’s a very simplistic design, but it fits both the team and the player himself very well. Do you know which goalie rocks this look?
Whose mask is this?
This Columbus Blue Jackets goalie mask uses the basic structure of having main logos on the sides, with the primary star & stripes logo on the left side, and the secondary cannon logo on the other. Using a red background for the helmet will contrast well as a secondary colour with the team’s dark blue jerseys. There isn’t much else on this mask that’s remarkable. This goalie opts for his nickname across the chin of the mask rather than his number.
Whose mask is this?
Here we have another lightning-infused goalie mask made for a player who is not on the Tampa Bay Lightning. I suppose it is worth mentioning that this, the Leafs, Avs, and Dallas Stars mask were all designed by the same person: Dave Gunnarson. In fact, it’s become almost a calling card of Gunnarson’s. This mask also closely matches the goalie’s pads, as they have the same Statue of Liberty logo. Do you know which Big Apple goaltender rocks this piece of art?
Whose mask is this?
This mask design is extremely team-oriented. Along with the two primary logos that appear on the side of the helmet, the pattern used on the forehead coming down the middle is the same stripe pattern that appears on the Carolina Hurricanes’ jerseys. The pig character that is peeking out from behind the logo is the Canes’ mascot, Stormy. There are also some finer details in this one, such as how the logos are drawn with lines that make it look like ice that has been skated on.
Whose mask is this?
This is another example of an incredibly simple design that turned out looking amazing. This is a piece of “DaveArt” from Dave Gunnarson. While just using the two large logos on opposite sides of the helmet seems basic, there is lots of creativity involved. The colour of the “devil” logo changes from red to white halfway down. Also, the painting of the mask itself was done so that you can see the brushstrokes, giving it a very old school look.
Whose mask is this?
Does this mask’s design look more like the Philadelphia Phantoms logo than the Philadelphia Flyers to you? It did to me, until I realised that it was inspired by a classic Flyers mask worn by possibly their best ever goalie, Ron Hextall. This player did infuse a bit of his own personality into this design. The back of the helmet, seen on the far right of this pic, contains a giant drawing of a “Moose” which happens to be his nickname.
Whose mask is this?
This helmet is about as fancy as you’d expect from the NHL’s fifth highest paid goalie. Seriously though, the fine details on this mask are pretty impressive. From the tiny hologram logos, to the several different layers and colour changes, to the vintage, faded logo on the top of the head, to the team name wordmark in French on the right side of the bucket, this is a busy mask that still represents the team extremely well. Do you know who wears this?
Whose mask is this?
This goalie has included some sort of a brick wall in his helmet design seemingly every year. Even though it may be a bit cliche, I’m surprised more goalies don’t it, because it looks great. This mask utilizes the brick wall in a few different ways. One is the background, seen at the top of the forehead, the other is in the NY logo, as well as the hockey sticks on the side of the helmet. Two images on either side pay homage to the netminder’s home country Slovakia, and his current city of residence, New York.
Whose mask is this?
This netminder has been in Canada’s capital city for awhile now, and this is one of the more interesting masks he’s rocked during his tenure. The automotive influence in this player’s mask continues in this design with a modified corvette logo on the forehead that kind of looks like a red unibrow. On the sides of the helmet you can see a glimpse of an engine underneath the paint, along with the Senators logo. Do you know the car enthusiast behind this mask?
Whose mask is this?
This is a pretty basic, yet fun mask design that uses a lot of common elements we’ve already seen. The things that jump out at you at first are the huge primary logo and “Penguins” wordmark on the side of the helmet, as well as the yellow racing stripe that goes right down the middle. If you look closer, you can see subtle music notes on the white part of his helmet. Do you know which Pittsburgh goalkeeper uses this mask?
Whose mask is this?
We’ve talked about how some goalies keep similar themes or characters throughout their different masks, but this goalie just keeps the whole thing the same. This could be due to superstition, or he just likes the look. Either make sense. This mask has a bruin with his mouth opening where the goalies face actually is, which is a pretty common look for modern goalie masks. An underrated part is the animal also grasping Boston’s logo with his claws. Just ignore what’s written on the chin until after you answer this question.
Whose mask is this?
Now here’s a really unique mask. This one is designed to look like a pencil sketch, therefore it has no colour. Somehow, it still looks fantastic. The actual artwork itself is pretty fun as well. It includes a dragon, the logo of a Swedish metal band, a raven, and multiple Buffalo Sabres logos. While the whole point of the sketch design was to be different, I have a feeling goalies around the world will be considering this technique for their next mask.
Whose mask is this?
This mask, like his last one, is full of tributes. In 2016, this goalie’s mask paid tribute to Joe Louis Arena, which closed as the Red Wings moved into their new Little Caesars Arena. This year the mask pays tribute to the man that made that move possible, the Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, who passed away in February of 2017. It also makes note of the team’s inaugural season in 1926 with the icon on the forehead which is surrounded by the end of the winged wheel logo on either side of the mask.
Whose mask is this?
This is a classic, simple helmet design. The Americana is a little over the top, but if you’re playing out of the United States’ capital city is kind of makes sense. Plus, most good hockey masks are over the top with their influences anyway. You can see that there’s lots of detail underneath the red and blue stars, such as alternate logos from throughout the Capitals history. This should be an easy one, given he’s one of the best regular season goalies in the NHL for a few years, and has been using similar helmet styles throughout.
Whose mask is this?
This goalie has come onto the scene in a big way over the past couple seasons, with his 2016-17 campaign being by far the best, as he led the Nashville Predators to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. He may not have the most exciting, or creative mask design of the bunch here, but it gets the job done. The two large logos on either side take up most of the room, leaving some space for smaller alternate logos down the centre of the helmet. Which goalie is this?
Whose mask is this?
This is another very busy facemask. It’s basically split into three levels. The first is a huge version of the Minnesota WIld logo on the side, along with the circle logo on the forehead. Below the large logo is an image of people playing pond hockey, which he says was a big part of his childhood. The lowest level involves a cartoon giraffe in front of a forest. The part that means the most to him is on the back, where he has his two kids painted on.
Whose mask is this?
I’m going to be honest, I really have no idea what’s going on on this helmet. The logo on the forehead makes sense. The lightning bolts I can live with because that seems to be Mr. Gunnarson’s thing. But what’s happening on the sides? We have panther teeth leading into the facemask part, but also have a truck’s exhaust pipe coming out of it. Apparently it’s some sort of “Optimus Prime” gag, but I can’t figure out how. Is it supposed to transform between a panther and a truck? A panther and a transformer? Good luck with this one.
Whose mask is this?
This player rocked the most basic of all goalie masks at the beginning of the season: plain white. This is because of multiple reasons. One being that he plays for a brand new franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights. The second reason is he never expected to have to play this season. At the beginning of the hockey year there were three goalies ahead of him, but they all ended up getting injured. He has stepped up in a big way, leading the Knights to a completely unexpected 1st place in the Western Conference at the midway point of the season.