![]() Among the most talented artists today working on masks are Dave Gunnarsson, Todd Miska, and Frank Cipra. #Goalie mask plain clip art proCountless different artists and art studios deliver ever-evolving designs pro goalies. In the modern NHL things are remarkably different. Though demand was rapidly growing, the few existing artists were able to handle the creative workload. Greg Harrison mask worn by Jim Rutherford.īack in those days, though mask designs were booming in the NHL, there weren’t many artists specifically dedicated to goalie masks as Harrison was. My personal favorite Harrison piece is 1981 Blues goalie Staniowski’s teardrop-blue note rig. Harrison had a way of making the simple beautiful, and complexity even more so. On the simpler side, Harrison designed Al Smith’s 1981 Buffalo Sabres mask with only the logos of different teams Smith took the net for. His more complex designs include Gilles Meloche’s 1976 Cleveland Barons mask, and Gilles Gratton’s 1976 big cat mask while playing for the Rangers. Famous examples of Harrison’s work feature how diverse he could be in his style. His creations ranged from personality-oozing, intricate designs to beautiful simplicity with basic colors, shapes, and team logos. #Goalie mask plain clip art professionalBy the late 1970’s, an estimated 80 percent of professional goalies dawned Harrison’s designs. Harrison’s designs escalated quickly as he started pumping out designs for several NHL goalies. Harrison’s first design was nothing but powder blue paint covering Pittsburgh goalie Jim Rutherford’s mask in 1974. It’s impossible to talk about the boom of goalie mask designs in the 1970’s and 80’s without mentioning the artists who brought them to life, specifically a former goalie and art student by the name of Greg Harrison. The 1976 season became the year of the mask, and forever proved the fad’s validity. The growing design fad certainly didn’t slow down with more complexity and color. Designs came simply at first for net-minders, exampled by Doug Favell’s 1971 completely orange Flyer’s mask and Bernie Parent’s colorful 1972 Philadelphia Blaze flame mask. Mask designs exploded onto the ice in the few years following Cheevers’ stitches. To him, it was just a mock extension of his personality, until other goalies began emulating it. Goalies especially saw an outlet to show whom the man behind the face-embalming mask was.Ĭheevers’ didn’t intend for his mask to be taken seriously. For the first time hockey was given a shot of creativity. The stitched mask brought another unintended element to the ice. Cheevers’ inaugural design highlighted the importance of protective equipment (especially after the current Hall of Famer said it made him a braver and better goalie). Goalies almost never wore masks in games, and those who did were often scrutinized when masks became more popular. Protective gear in the NHL before the 1960’s was, well, irrelevant. Now known as the grandfather of modern mask design, Cheevers’ crude stitched mask served a dual purpose protection and personality. The joke stuck and by the end of the season Cheevers’ mask was covered in black stitches, heralding the evolution of the goalie mask beyond mere functionality. It was then that Bruins trainer John Forristall decided to add a little flair to Cheevers’ “injury.” Gerry and John jokingly cooked up the idea to draw a line of ten stitches across Cheevers’ mask where the puck hit, completely oblivious to the statement they were making. When his coach found him perfectly healthy in the locker room, he demanded Cheevers get back on the ice. When NHL goalie Gerry Cheevers sarcastically rebelled against his coach in a 1968 Bruins practice, he unknowingly changed the face (literally) of hockey forever.Ĭheevers admittedly faked a head injury in that practice after taking a shot to his then plain-white fiberglass mask in hopes of cutting practice short, which the eccentric goalie was apparently fond of. Gerry Cheevers was the first hockey goalie to give masks personality. ![]()
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