Steve Mason got a second life last year, being traded from hockey waste-land Columbus to hockey hotbed Philadelphia.
So what better way to pay homage to his rise-from-the-NHL-dead, than to commission a zombie theme for his new-look mask.
Here it is, featuring various zombified members of the American Revolution. (Thanks to Anthony SanFilippo, reporter for PhiladelphiaFlyers.com for the Twitter close-ups)
Woo, scary stuff, as Count Floyd used to say, and just in time for Halloween!
Here is an interview with the mask’s artist.
Mason is not the goalie who has used the horror theme on goalie masks before. Here are a few other examples.
PHOTO: Ingoalmag.com and Hockeyfights.com
Evgeni Nabokov has used a skeleton motif in San Jose and New York.
During his time in Toronto, Curtis Joseph was known for an affectionate nickname that was also the title of a horror novel written by Stephen King. Recoil from the Cujo mask!
PHOTO: Ingoalmag.com
At 5 feet 11 inches and weighing less than 200 pounds, Cujo rarely scared anyone, except NHL snipers.
One of creepiest masks came from NHL journeyman goalie Gary Bromley, who bounced around in the 1970s and early 1980s with Buffalo, Vancouver and one year with Winnipeg Jets in the WHA. This is the stuff of nightmares.
PHOTO: Canadiandesignresource.ca
Creepy stuff Bromley!
PHOTO: Canadiandesignresource.ca
Creepy stuff Bromley!
But none of these mask approaches the stark terror that is displayed by former Boston Bruins legend Gerry Cheevers. Behold, the horror!
PHOTO: Calgary Herald
Cheevers marked his mask with stitches whenever he took a puck on the face. Cheevers’ mask remains the most recognizable and memorable in hockey.
