RATE MY MASK - Antoine Bibeau

So the Christmas shopping is now complete and I am officially on "my time" for the next 2+ weeks.  Last night my nephew and I went to check out Star Wars: Rogue One and we both enjoyed it (although I think my nephew is past the Star Wars phase of his life....ugh).  This evening I've been organizing my iTunes while doing some custom work.  It's so enjoyable to not have a looming alarm clock to wake up to tomorrow.

Now, speaking of custom creations - and the creative process, how many of you like to listen to music while you delve into creativity?  I most certainly do and I pulled this disc out of the archives and loved every minute of it.

This quartet got together and called the creation "The Goat Rodeo Sessions".



Now I know it's a little "out there" for most....but that's part of what a goat rodeo is.  Yo-Yo Ma is just flat out a genius and Chris Thile on the mandolin is spectacular.  This quartet performed on PBS a number of years ago and it still sits on my pvr....it's fantastic.  The energy it gave me as I was working tonight was spot on.

Anyways....just had to share.  Now, on to some hockey stuff.

I've been meaning to draft this post up now for a couple weeks but you know me....procrastinator.  Who saw Leafs goalie Antoine Bibeau when he made his Toronto debut earlier this month?  Who noticed his goalie mask?

I most certainly did.

How could I miss it!!  It pays homage to one of the all-time great goalie masks not only in Maple Leafs history but NHL history - Felix Potvin.

The crown and chin of the mask are definitely taken from the iconic lid while the sides have a nice airbrushed pose of The Cat in his heyday.

When you compare the two photos you can really see the similarities.

Hate to say it, but the throat guard kind of gets in the way of the design.  Darn safety stuff.

Bibeau has dipped into Leafs goaltending history prior to this with tribute masks of Johnny Bower and Mike Palmateer, but this Potvin offering takes the prize.

Designed by Sylvie Poitras of Airbrush Zap, it's nice to see other mask designers get some NHL love.  Notice the fleur-de-lis (flower of the lily) on his backplate signifying Bibeau's heritage (and that of Potvin) along with the nickname "Bibs". I wonder if that is pronounced "bibs" or "beebs"?

The silver, white and blue is definitely a nice combination, suiting the current TML colours with the black outline producing a good punch for those admiring from a distance.

Bibeau had this mask done up prior to the start of the season with his farm team the Toronto Marlies.  But it wasn't until he was called up to the big club that most took notice of this great looking mask.

What I like about it is the simplicity.  Yes, I know it's just copying an old design so that's cheating, but when you look at masks these days and the complex designs, it's nice to see something that is so relaxing on the eyes.

There's good flow from the mask to the rest of the equipment and one can appreciate it from afar as well as up close.  Points for that.

When I did a Rate My Mask for the above Felix Potvin mask I gave it a 3.5 out of 5 which I still agree with to this day.  But wait for it....you might be surprised by my Bibeau ranking.

It really hits all the right notes for me and I think it's a breath of fresh air in this day and age of goalie masks.

4 out of 5

OK.....now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!

RATE MY MASK - Robin Lehner

I was at the Calgary Flames game tonight and was struck by what I saw in the opposition net.

I usually am curious to see what goalie masks are being sported and if I like them or not.  To me, a good looking goalie mask should be one that can be appreciated both up close and from a distance.  But in Robin Lehner's case, I had to do a little more digging as you will soon realize.

No, I didn't desaturate the photo, this mask is completely black and white.  Can something so devoid of color be considered bold?  Possibly.

My first thought was that of another goalie who went sans color in their mask design...Tim Thomas.  In fact, he was my very first "Rate My Mask" card and a quick peek shows that I gave it a 4 out of 5.  But many of you didn't feel so kind to it at the time.

We'll see how you feel about Lehner's.

Drawn up by mask design guru David Gunnarsson, this creation is entitled "The Cradle of Creativity" and is inspired by Robin's favourite band - In Flames.  We will get to some of that detail in a moment.

You can clearly see the Buffalo text running down each side of the mask with the In Flames logo on top.  The Sabres logo is on each side of the chin with the number 40 smack dab in the middle.

On the left side around the ear you will see what looks like a crow.  That part is inspired from In Flames' album cover for 'Sounds of a Playground Fading'.  It's quite small and doesn't really have the killer detail that the album cover has.

I like the artwork of this album.  And seeing this makes me understand more why it would work on Lehner's mask as a sketch.  I just don't know if the mask detail is as solid as it should be.

Now before I go any further, can you guess what music genre In Flames belongs to?

I'll give you a hint......you're right.

It's kind of catchy but it doesn't really do it for me.  But then again I've only listened to about a minute of their stuff.  First impressions....they can be a killer.

Anyways, back to the mask at hand.

The right side design, again by the ear, is....you guessed it, more album artwork inspiration.  This time from the 'Come Clarity' title.

Again, I can see why Gunnarsson went the sketch route.  But just like the other side, the detail of the album cover isn't quite as effective on the mask.  It just comes up short.

I don't know if that is because the artwork is so small (and actually pretty insignificant) in the overall design of the mask or that is really does look like a rough sketch drawing of it.  Regardless, it doesn't work for me.

Lastly, the rear panel sections of the mask showcase the mascot for In Flames.  This time, the detail is pretty effective.  It's got that maniacal laugh vibe that really puts some character into the mask.

While I enjoy masks that have an inspiration, theme or direct tribute, I do feel like there needs to be some character to the lid or it's nothing more than plain artwork.  And as detailed and impressive as it might be, if it lacks that soul...it really doesn't do anything.

The mascot depiction definitely adds to the mask.  In fact, I'd almost say that it saves it from really tanking in my overall rating.

So how did Gunnarsson and Lehner come to the decision to go with a sketch look?  It seems that the pair just got talking about how much they liked sketches and then Lehner mentioned that he wanted his mask to be like nothing ever done before.  He wanted to be completely unique.

He's got points in that category.

But is it enough to really impress?  When you pair it up with his dark jersey colours, the mask seems a little out of sorts.  Tonight when I saw him in net, the Sabres were wearing their road whites so it worked a little better.  That said, from a distance you couldn't really appreciate any of the design.  He looked more like a goalie who had to resort to the "I just got traded" white mask (now those are some sweet mask looks).

Overall, I like the attempt and the reasoning, but I just can't give it top marks.  It's not as detailed as I'd like in some areas and the "wow factor" is just not there when sitting in the stands.

2.5 out of 5

Now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!!

BTW.....German Heavy Metal is the right answer.

RATE MY MASK - Ryan Miller

I haven't done one of these custom cards in a very long time...but a recent hockey game had me thinking about reviving the trend.

A couple weeks ago the Vancouver Canucks went "retro" by wearing their iconic skate logo jerseys for a tilt with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The Saturday night match definitely brought back fond memories of the 'Nucks and their heyday when Linden and crew went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994.

As much as I enjoyed seeing the new old threads, I thought Ryan Miller did a great job channeling his inner John Garrett.

Miller's mask definitely had a throwback theme and the bold red and yellow colors really punch against the black background.

It's a lid that might not have a lot of detail, but the impressiveness of it can most definitely be seen from all reaches of the arena.

Painted by long-time artist Ray Bishop, the classic 'V' shape harkens back to the old-school masks of the 70's with the likes of John Garrett.  Back in a time when team colors and bold, solid shapes adorned the masks (whereas today's intricate airbrushing can take away from the beauty of the design from a distance).

Garrett not only has a killer mask....but how about them jerseys!!

Miller's retro mask also has a hint of 90's backstop Kirk McLean both in shape of design and era.  But I like to go back to the 70's whenever I can.  Who can blame me.

In addition to the great bold colors used by Bishop, he fired up the instantly noticeable skate logo the Canucks used in the late 80's and into the 90's...which makes for some fantastic patch cards by the way.

The logo shows up of both sides of the mask giving it that symmetry which was common of the times.

I really like this mask and I think more goalies should adopt the big, bold colors.  While I can appreciate the intricate detail that goes into some of these designs, I can't help but think that the overly-busy canvas can take away from the fans' enjoyment of it.

And I feel that more goalies do have less detail - or at least find a better balance of the two.

The backplate shows Ryan's always used "Miller Time" along with the names of his wife Noreen, son Bodhi and dog Puck.

I think part of the reason why this mask works so well is because it went great with the rest of Miller's gear.

C'mon....how great do those pads look?!!

And I want the blocker and catcher.  You'd be the most popular guy on the street with those during weekend road hockey.

Great look.  I'm sure that it just makes the fivehole look even more enticing, but it's all about the look - right?

It's a shame that the Canucks couldn't do more during the actual game.  This season really does not harken back to their gritty, talented '94 squad that pushed themselves to a flimsy goalpost away from the Cup.

At the end of the day it was great to see a slice of vintage Vancouver hockey goodness and I hope that they continue the tradition next year.

I can't help but be a fan of this mask.  It goes right along the lines of what John Garrett was wearing back in the early 80's.  A real special time period in the history of Vancouver mask and jersey history.

4 out of 5


So now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!!

RATE MY MASK - Devan Dubnyk

With the new hockey season upon us, it's time to get accustomed to new players in new uniforms (Spezza as a Star is still weird) and of course check out the new lids that goalies wearing.

A few to keep an eye out for early on are both Ducks tenders (Gibson with the Pac-Man theme and Andersen with his LEGO look), Kari Ramo's ode to Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven", Jonas Gustavsson's Monsters Hall Of Fame, Ryan Miller's Johnny Canuck alternate lid and lastly...

Giraffes.

But not just any ordinary giraffes.

How about some wild west giraffes.

I really don't know what to say.  I know Dubnyk has a thing for giraffes as it's a play on his tall 6'6" frame and I know that he's now playing in the US Southwest, but this might be the most bizarre mask concept I would have come up with.

Painted by NHL mask guru Dave Gunnarsson, this unique lid sports a very Coyotes-themed color scheme.  The logo is present on the top of the mask and has a bit of attitude to it without going too overboard.

But the rest of the mask is one big leap off of the plank.

If you click on this photo, you'll be able to see all sides of this atrocity.

Depicted on the left side is the legendary sherrif cowboy of Arizona, Wyatt Earp.....giraffe-style, ripe with his huge mustache and Tombstone town sign.  On the other side is his sidekick Doc Holliday.  I take a second and third look, but can't get past the ridiculousness of it all.

The backplate is a little....ok, a lot more simple with the focus being a portrait of his son Nathaniel along with some tributes to members of his family, including his mother.  One writer noted that the backplate looks more like the start of a tattoo sleeve.

Now this is where things go from bad to worse.  One of my beefs with masks these days is the inability to decipher what is actually on the mask - especially from a distance.

I'm sure the Coyotes logo would look sharp...if Devan was looking down all the time (and he might just be), but the sides are just a mess of muted colors.

I can't make out a single thing amidst all the detail work.

Heck, even close up it's still tough to figure everything out.

Now I'll give him points for keeping things thematic, but that's about it.

What I find more surprising is that Gunnarsson seemed very excited with his creation, stating "It's so exciting to create designs that work both on a distance as up close."

Um......ok then.

As for Dubnyk, he commented simply with "It looks awesome."

I guess still having an NHL mask would lend that kind of reaction.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

1.5 out of 5


Now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!!

RATE MY MASK - Petr Mrazek

Petr Mrazek likes the show "Homeland".  He also likes "24" (one of my faves).  One show he's never watched though is "Family Guy".  So why does he have the lead character Peter Griffin slapped on the side of his mask?

It was a question that I did a little digging on....and as a result, came up with the most recent installment of Rate My Mask.

That.....and I just wanted to post a mask that had one of the most identifiable cartoon characters of a generation (and that's a sad commentary on society....but that's for another day).

The Czech-born netminder was drafted 141st overall in the 2010 Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.  They have a way of picking very well deep into the draft.  He had fantastic junior career with the Ottawa 67's, posting a pair of 30-win seasons and was making waves with Detroit's farm team.

To me, he's best known as the top goalie at the 2012 World Junior Championship held in my home province.  Although he sported a record of 3-3, his 2.49 GAA and .928 SV% were tough to miss.  As was the 52-save performance in a 5-2 win over the USA.

So where does Peter Griffin come into play on all of this?

Well, I mentioned he had a strong showing on Detroit's farm team - the Grand Rapids Griffins - during the 2012/13 season.  He was expecting to play a bunch again on the farm this year.  So.....why not mash Peter (Petr) and Griffin (Grand Rapids) into one heck of a mask.

Even if it didn't really mean anything to Mrazek, just having this character on the side of his lid ripping open his suit to reveal his Superman outfit would get people's heads turning.

The bold red and white colors do a similar job of being bold and noticeable on the rest of his mask.

I feel like a lot of goalies are going this way these days.  Bold colors with strong lines.  A little hint of old school.

Designer Dave Gunnarsson (who does pretty much everyone's masks these days) airbrushed a nice, but safe, piece as he developed this look for Petr.

"He knew what he wanted on his mask, and with that name and that team name, he knew what would fit perfect on his mask.  I brainstormed some ideas and got started, and as you can see this mask has super powers."

Well, I don't know about that.  There's a lot more to a mask than just a Family Guy reference (points for that though).

In addition to Super Griffin, Mrazek's mask utilizes the Wings' logo along the bottom right down the jaw line.

Again, simple can sometimes work.  But I do think there's a little lacking here.  It feels just a bit too empty for my liking.

If you look closely, you can also see a subtle Griffin in the red of the mask.  This mythical creature has the body, tail and back legs of a lion with the head and wings of an eagle.

How many other uses of the word Griffin can be applied to this mask?

Ah yes, the striking Griffin shield on the top of the goalie mask.  Of course.

I'm waiting for RGIII to make an appearance on the backplate.

Speaking of backplates, you should check out Petr's from his junior days. One of the best ever.

Definite points for that.

All in all, the mask has some strong looks, but some definite weaknesses.  Kryptonite does Mrazek in.

2 out of 5


Now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!!

RATE MY MASK - Roberto Luongo 2.0

Do you think Roberto is happy to be out of the disaster zone known as Vancouver right now?  Judging by the shutout he pitched in his first game as a Panther....I'd say so.

It's rare these days to see a goalie return to a team for a second stint in net.  Even more rare is when said goalie pulls out a goalie mask from the past.  But that's just what Roberto did when he hit the ice against the Sabres last week.

So I thought I'd take a moment to bask in the glory of the ol' Pink Panther mask and a time when the Canucks were a bit better team.

Lots of color, lots of images, lots of Florida and panthers going on here.  Roberto's mask parallels his own character of fun and "easy-going.....ness".

Roberto's mask designer of choice for the past decade or so has been Canadian Marlene Ross.  She was responsible not just for this Florida "Pink Panther" mask, but his Panther-inspired Olympic mask from 2006.  She also designed numerous Vancouver masks as well as his 2010 gold-medal winning lid.

She has been featured on Hockey Night In Canada a few times and has a solid pro clientele......or should I say "had".  Many of the goalies listed on her website have retired....so I'm not sure how much recent work she has going on.

The focus of the mask is most definitely the iconic image of the Pink Panther donning a vintage pretzel mask.  The cartoon is a little more aggressive than the cuddly Saturday morning / comic book offering but I like it.  I don't think a cuddly plush toy would work nearly as well on an NHL goalie mask.

Silhouette palm trees and crashing waves drape down each side of the mask which uses a gradient base of warm colors as a perfect background palette.  The contrasting blues down low and around the chin really pop out.

I'm still trying to figure out what those yellow and black triangles are on each side.  Is it beachfront property?  An homage to a mask from the past?  Or just simply a geometric pattern to fill space?  I have no clue...so I will go with beachfront property.

The backplate of his mask (at least back in 2006) had some initials on it.  When asked years ago about it, Roberto simply responded with "It's personal".  I can respect that.

Overall, Luongo's lid blends character and team about as well as you can.  I would have liked to have seen a little more personalization (as opposed to just a fun figurehead) or maybe even an update of some sort.  Who knows, maybe that'll come later this season or early next.

I gotta say, seeing Luongo in the new-old Florida getup is great.  Hearing him at the press conference to announce his return, he seems very happy about returning to a place he calls home (and I'm sure getting out of the situation in Vancouver).

I think he's been very professional about the whole situation over the past three years.  Sure, there have been times where he's shown his disappointment and has thrown out a humorous jab or two, but the flip-flopping of what Roberto's expectation was to be for Vancouver made a lot of coaches and head office folks looks bad - REALLY BAD.

But that chapter is now over.  Luongo is starting fresh (say for a stinky 8-year-old mask) and I'm looking forward to see what both teams do moving forward.

3.5 out of 5

Now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!

RATE MY MASK - Steve Mason

With a new NHL season comes many new goalie mask designs.  Tenders have been traded to new teams and need to sport the home colors (or go with the mid-90's fave....the all-white lid), goalies need to re-invent their mojo (clearly filtered through their mask) or they've just grown tired of the same ol'.

For a guy like Steve Mason....I think there's a bit of all three.

Pushed away from Columbus last season, Steve is now the "starter" in Philly.  Of course that's a very loose stature - especially seeing that their coach was recently canned.

Mason has always had some interesting designs (my fave being the one that included the Evil Dead skull).  So with a fresh palette to build on, a new design was created.

Zombie Ben Franklin, zombie George Washington and zombie Betsy Ross.  Why not.

With the un-dead being in fashion right now, I'm not surprised that Steve stayed with a theme that's he's gone with in the past.  And even though Washington is mostly associated with Virginia (?) the Philly theme is strong.

I picked this mask as the one to rate not just because it was an interesting choice, but because there were some pics of the painting process used in some of the news stories.

In fact, the NHL went one further and created a video on the designing of Steve's new lid.  Check it out...



Here are some more pics that show off some of the impressive detail in the mask.

Painted by Franny Drummond who runs PaintZoo, this mask is the first from PaintZoo that I've seen.  I really like the stitching effect on the cheeks and forehead.  The color is a little lacking...but then again it is a zombie mask.

The left side gives good symmetry with the right.  The business of the mask is a little more than my liking (especially with what I see as a bit of a blast from the past with more bold, solid color masks making an appearance...am I right?)

The Flyers logo on top and "Mase" on the chin looks crisp.  The name is similar to the way the players have their names on the backs of their jerseys.  Sadly, that shouldn't be the highlight of a new mask.

The backplate continues the trend with a little "We The People" action.

"Horror without the horror movie" is what Steve asked for and I think he got just that.  There's a great article at InGoalMag that has a few more killer pics of this new mask.

So at the end of the day, does the mask garner a good score?  Not quite.  While it is a nicely painted mask, the theme does feel a little redundant.  I would have liked to have seen a little more orange in it.  And the big one for me....from a distance you can't really appreciate the mask.  That's no good.

2.5 out of 5

Now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!

RATE MY MASK - Thomas Greiss

I was doing a little interwebs surfing yesterday and came across a great album of pics on Fox Sports showcasing masks worn in the 2013 season.  That, plus a subsequent discussion on the hobby boards I belong to, inspired me to whip up another Rate My Mask card.

I wanted to get some thoughts from you guys about the masks you've been seeing this year so far.  Designs, innovations, themes.... likes and dislikes.

For me, the masks this year are more diverse than ever.  Some really cool intricate designs (much like the work of the past decade or so) but also a bit of a throwback to some simpler looks.

Guys like Anders Lindback, Carey Price, Chris Mason, James Reimer, Ben Scrivens and Al Montoya are coming out with masks that have a bolder and in some ways simpler design.  And I like that.

But then a mask like the one below comes along and really switches things up.

This Thomas Greiss mask is scary - for real!  If you don't believe me, find a high-res pic of one on the internet, open it up and zoom into it.  Wow.

The detail in this Yeti's face and hair is really impressive and the eyes and teeth are truly menacing.

I also like the silver scripting of Greiss' name on the chin.  Not too bold and eye catching, but crisp and impressive.

Greiss has been wearing this mask for 3 seasons now and while he's solidified the backup role in San Jose, we are limited to the amount we get to see the great lid.

For those who were curious, the left side of the mask isn't as exciting.

There's not much in terms of info (or pics other than of the Yeti's face).  But I can only imagine what somebody might think when they get a close up look of this mask.

This photo popped up recently and it ramps the scariness up even more.  I can't say for sure if Thomas has worn it in a game (or if the NHL would even allow it) but man is this thing impressive.

3.5 out of 5

Now it's your turn to Rate My Mask!
(and also give me your thoughts on the 2013 crop of masks in general)

RATE MY MASK - Al Montoya

With a new season comes a changing of the guard - literally.  It seems that there are some new residences for journeymen goalies, top prospect busts and those looking for that one last shot at glory.

What I love about goalies finding work in a new NHL city is that they immediately need to take care of the important things.  Most notably....a new paint job for the goalie mask.

What I've found odd is that while there are numerous resources for finding good quality mask pics, there aren't too many snapshots of these new (and impressive) lids.

But perseverance pays off in the end and I tracked down some photos of one of my faves this year.

Al Montoya had a bit of a resurgence last year with the Islanders.  But a crammed goalie locker room made Montoya the odd man out.  New York's loss is Winnipeg's gain.

I think he'll fair well playing for the Jets.  I hope he can get about 10-20 starts in this shortened season, prove his worth as a solid "1a" to Pavelec and maybe do some damage next year when they play a full 82 games.

But on to his new look Jets mask.

Known as the "Big Cubano", Montoya went with an Islander/sea motif with his previous club.  Staying with the "team theme" again this season, Al had a pretty aggressive looking cartoon jet take the main focus of his mask.

Painted by Bishop Designs, this mask really finds a nice balance of intricate detail and bold cartoon simplicity.

You can see the mouth and teeth completely envelop the cage of the mask (seems the thing to do these days).  The accentuated teeth really pop off the mask making it far more effective than some of the more subtle but scarier counterparts around the league.

Reminiscent of Brian Hayward's iconic San Jose Sharks mask of the 90's, Montoya's jet comes screaming out with smoking exhaust pipes coming out the side, a Jets logo on the forehead and a pair of very menacing eyes.

The backplate has Al's famous nickname as well as family initials surrounding a full shot of the fighter plane against a nice light blue.  This really contrasts the rest of the mask well.

A closer look at the detail on the mask shows some smoking bullet holes in the chin area mixed in with the rivets on the metal plane "body".  The name "Monty 31" is also on the side of his mask (won't be confusing this with any of the other guys on the team, eh?)

What I love most about Al Montoya's mask is that it is so recognizable - even from a far distance.  Too many masks these days are so intricate that you lose the effect unless you are right up close.  And I'm sure the pesky power forward from the other team could care less about the detail on a guy's mask.

Also, when the mask is being worn....the full effect of the mouth around the cage is seen.  Take a second look at the custom card I made for it.  It looks like Montoya's head is coming right out of the mask.  Very cool.

Hopefully Al gets to keep this mask for a little while.  He needs to find a home.

4 out of 5

Now it's your turn to RATE MY MASK!