BEHIND THE MASKS - Super Duper Alice Cooper

It's late, and I've had a long week.  But I just had to post about this stunning backplate.

Alice Cooper is in full force on this Mike Smith backplate.

The Arizona Coyotes goaltender paid homage to this rock icon on his most recent mask, an old school throwback to the Coyotes' early days after moving from Winnipeg.

Designed by artist David Arrigo, this rendering is downright scary - scary good.  The eyes are just piercing.

Here is a video of Smith talking about the mask...



Mike wore the mask when the Coyotes hosted the Vancouver Canucks.  The mask was a part of the team's Throwback Night.

What more can you say.......this has got to be turned into a hockey card.

CUSTOM CREATIONS - Well, It Finally Happened

The past few weeks have been a little slow for me here on the blog, and for good reason.  There's been some behind the scenes workings on a very special project that is about 2 years in the making.

Some of you dedicated readers might remember the custom cards I built for a concept called "Backplates".

The idea is very simple - much like the goalie mask card focuses in on the front of the mask, these backplate cards will celebrate some of the interesting (and often personal) messages painted on the back.

These rarely seen parts of the mask will be a first in the trading card industry.  That's right - this concept has been given the green light and the final checklist has been announced.  20 cards in all...all current NHLers.

And am I ever PUMPED!!!!!

This is as close to the final mockup of the card design that I can show you at this time.  This Budaj will not be a part of the set but holds a very special place in my custom building portfolio as it is the backplate that I used when I presented this concept two years ago.

So why now?  Well, with the advent of artist sketches, the ability to build such a set becomes infinitely easier.  Photos only need to be used as guides.  The final card will have a similar artist style as the main goalie mask insert set (since the same artist was used).

The back of the card will give a bit of backstory (see how I did that) on the design and why it is important for the player to have it painted on his mask.  Some great stories and it was very difficult to narrow down the players to just twenty.

The best part - I was asked to be involved in all aspects of the set.  From final approval of the design to the player selection to even writing up the text on the back.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have expected something like this to happen.

So how soon can you get your grubby little paws on some of these gems?  Well certainly not today.......cause it's April Fool's Day!!!

RATE MY MASK - Steve Valiquette

Ask and you shall receive. I had a request for the Rate My Mask feature and I think it's a great selection.

A very underrated mask, and one that gets overlooked (mostly due to his limited time in the NHL).


"Spiderman, Spiderman, friendly neighborhood Spiderman." If that doesn't say New York, I don't know what does.

Steve had previously gone with the Spiderman theme in his mask, but in 2009 when he added more red to his pads, he decided to go with a new mask.

Maskmaker Dave Gunnarsson decided that in order to add red, he would create a stone wall for Spidey to break through.

The New York landmarks including a Statue of Liberty wearing a Rangers jersey fill out the sides. But it's the monuments in his eyes that add a cool subtle touch.

His number 40 sits on the chin amidst the crumbling rock. A pretty simple and slick design.

While I was designing this mask, I came across another pic that I thought would make a good card.

So here's two for the price of one.


A pretty bold backplate (too bad the straps are blocking it). I like the nickname as well.

Overall, I give this mask some decent points for design, but it doesn't quite have that 'wow' factor for me.

2.5 out of 5

Alright.....now it's your turn to Rate My Mask!

BACKPLATES - I Like 'Em

The release of ITG's 2010/11 Between The Pipes has inspired me to create some customs.

I have had this idea for an insert set for a few years and I would love to get the courage to pitch the idea to Dr. Brian Price himself. I think it's that good.

One of BTP's most successful insert sets would be the Masked Men (and before that, just the simple Mask) sets. You can't get more basic than a goalie mask on a card...but boy does it work. A great chance to highlight the incredible designs these tenders have on their lids nowadays.

But what about the backplates? They get no love. And quite often, the back of the helmet shows off a more personal side of the player than the front.

I always thought it would be cool to do a set of just the backs of heads....so I made some. Enjoy.


The Cam Ward Backplate was the first one I made. His backplate is just pumped full of detail. Fantastic.


Ned Flanders has been a part of Peter Budaj's masks now for a while. A devout Christian, he also loves the Simpsons and his teammates gave him the nickname 'Flanders'.


I just loved this Hannu Toivonen shot - period. It's a can't miss Snoopy / Piglet tandem...awesome. When I started making this set, I knew this would be a definite addition.

So, what do you think? Am I on to something?

Stay tuned, I will have more.