When it comes to cool goalie masks, this Stanley Cup Final is stocked with them, from Corey Crawford’s black-on-black number for home games to Lightning goalie Ben Bishop’s glow-in-the-dark metallic blue design.
Even Hawks backup Scott Darling has a cool mask, with a red metallic hue as the base and familiar scenes from his hometown of Chicago interspersed into it.
It makes you wonder if any of their teammates are jealous, and if so, what they’d put on a mask if they wore them. RedEye fought through the mass of media covering this series to ask these all-important questions to a few Blackhawks players who don’t have a cool mask parked in their locker stall.
ANDREW DESJARDINS, FORWARD
If you guys wore masks, like the goalies, what would you put on yours?
Oh, man. Well, probably some outdoors stuff, like fishing and hunting. Definitely some outdoors stuff, like maybe a spinner reel or something. I’m like a walleye and bass guy, so I’d probably put a big walleye on there or something. I’d probably have and “A.R.D.” on there, too, my initials.”
You ever get jealous of the goalies, who actually do get to design their own mask?
Nah, it’s pretty cool. I mean, I’m not jealous. It doesn’t really bother me, but I guess when you’re growing up, it’s probably a pretty neat thing for them to be able to do that. You probably think about that when you’re a goalie, growing up. I’m assuming that they get a little excited about it.
JOAKIM NORDSTROM, FORWARD
If you guys wore masks like the goalies, what would you put on yours?
That’s a tough one. I’ve actually never thought about it, but looking at goalie masks, usually they have something that represents the team they’re playing for. [Darling] has a couple items … obviously, he’s from Chicago, so he has some things from Chicago. That would probably be something I would do, too, maybe something from Sweden.
Do you ever get a little jealous of goalies because they get to design their own masks?
It would be pretty cool if I could design my own helmet.
TREVOR VAN RIEMSDYK, DEFENSEMAN
If you guys wore masks, like the goalies, what would you put on yours?
Oh, I don’t know. I like Crow’s [Crawford’s]. I like the all black look he’s got going. It’s a little intimidating.
Are there any specific designs that you’d have to put on there?
I’d have to think longer about that. I’m not the most creative guy.
Nordstrom says he’d like to paint his helmet …
You mean, like each player gets their own design? That’d be pretty funny. I’d definitely have, maybe, a little New Hampshire or New Jersey on there, something from my roots there. Maybe a little Dutch, Holland flag too.”
How about a “T.V.R.” on there somewhere?
No. I wouldn’t go with that. No initials. Maybe a little something for the family and where you’re from and just keep it simple like that.
TEUVO TERAVAINEN, FORWARD
If you guys had masks like goalies, what would yours look like?
[Laughs.] I don’t really know. The goalies are weird people.
They’re weird people?
Yeah … so I don’t really know. I’ve never thought about it, but, maybe something not too crazy.
How about something having to do with Finland?
Uh, maybe … maybe something from Finland.
Do you ever get jealous of the goalies because they get to design their own masks?
No. I don’t really care about those.
Nordstrom said he’d like to paint his helmet. You agree?
[Laughs.] I don’t know. Maybe if everybody was doing that. That would be great, but everybody has to do it if I’m going to do it.
Brian Hedger is a RedEye special contributor. @brianhedger
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