HbD Masks: 2014-15 Masks (Part 3)

by Ally Koss

New goalie buckets are being announced fast and furious, so let’s check out some more new designs that will be debuting this October. If you missed them, go back and read Part 1 and Part 2 to see some more new designs.

By the way, all italicized links (like this one) will show images. Non-italicized links will go to a different page.

Ryan Miller (Vancouver Canucks)
First Nations Art
Ray Bishop, Bishop Designs

Joining his third team of this calendar year, the former Sabres and Blues netminder worked with Detroit-area artist Ray Bishop at Bishop Designs to develop another signature design. As Bishop tells InGoal Magazine, Miller wanted “a design that would have more of an iconic feel to it (similar to the buffalo style mask we have done so many of in the past), but using the logo elements from Vancouver. It is simply a native tribal design pattern that I found to be recurring in most of the references I pulled to aide me in designing Ryan’s new look.”

The tribal style is inspired by the first nations art, indigenous to the Pacific northwest, where orcas are symbolic of strength, luck and family. Some tribes view the orca as a guardian and protector of the sea, a definite parallel to Miller being the guardian of his net. The whale tails on the sides may be a bit too Whalers-esque, but overall this is a good, clean design that will look nice with a Vancouver jersey.

Jimmy Howard (Detroit Red Wings)
Classic Red Wings
Ray Bishop, Bishop Designs

When Jimmy Howard needed a new mask for the 2014-15 season, there was no question he’d once again turn to Bishop, his go-to artist for many years. While Bishop’s created a broad spectrum of styles for Howie’s masks over the years, from retro to cartoonish and everything in between, this season was all about keeping it classic. In a recent interview, Bishop described this design as “clean, classic, and bold… classic Detroit Red Wings.”

Paying homage to the team’s and city’s history, this mask prominently features the top-ranked Red Wings’ logo on each side with a large “D” crest on the top. 1926, the year of the original six franchise’s inaugural season, is written in script on each side with subtle racing stripes stenciled across the top, a nod to Detroit’s rich motor history. Bishop is “truly grateful and excited” about how much Jimmy loves his new mask design, and I have to agree. This bold mask is just as classic as the Wings franchise and logo and will look great on the ice in Hockeytown.

Jonas Gustavsson (Detroit Red Wings)
Monsters Hall of Fame
David Gunnarsson, Daveart

Staying true once again to his nickname, “the Monster,” Gustavsson worked with artist Dave Gunnarsson at Daveart once again to create a new haunted, horror-themed bucket. Unlike with his past designs, Jonas’ 2014-15 mask has a scaled-back color pallette, solely using black, gray and Detroit red.

An old-school style Red Wings wordmark scrolls across the top of this mask with a cluster of red wings on each side. The red elements on this mask are drawn in a bold and simplistic style, but the details fall in the desaturated background. Gunnarsson explains on his Instagram page, “Jonas wanted these monsters to have a sketchy old school style, so all [the] monsters are created with an old school lead pencil… it reminds [me] of old school horror book drawings.” Hidden in the sketches are a variety of spooky creatures from Frankenstein and the Loch Ness monster, to Dracula, zombies, Bigfoot, and more. The mix of old and new, graphic and detailed works wonderfully on this mask, and it will be a nice addition to the Wings’ already stellar mask collection.

Braden Holtby (Washington Capitals)
Rise of the Empire
David Gunnarsson, Daveart

The fourth-year Caps goaltender turned to Gunnarsson once again to craft his new mask for the 2014-15 season. “This new design is a continuation of Braden´s previous mask design which was a great success,” Gunnarsson explains on his Instagram page. He describes the aesthetic as an “old school style totally built on the foundation of the awesome logos and uniforms of the Capitals and inspired by the freedom of the american bald eagle.”

Like in years past. Holtby’s mask has the Caps wordmark in a large scale wrapped around the top of the helmet. Like the wordmark itself, this mask has a bold, graphic style that, like most of Gunnarsson’s designs, is all in the subtle details. The eagle on the side eclipses a hyper-realistic eagle eye, and patriotic stars are scattered throughout the design. Gunnarsson may have said it best himself when it comes to this design – “It cannot be more DC than that.”

Devan Dubnyk (Arizona Coyotes)
Salvador Dali
David Gunnarsson, Daveart

After signing a 1-year deal with the ‘Yotes this summer, Dubnyk decided to embrace the South-West culture full-on with a surrealist, desert-inspired mask concept. Dubnyk and Gunnarsson went with a concept combining the team logo and nods to his family on the backplate, including a portrait of his 1-year-old son, as well as his signature giraffes, a reference to Dubnyk’s 6 and a half foot stature.

 This mask is certainly cartoonish and has a lot going on, but once you’ve put a giraffe in full goalie gear, after that, anything’s possible.

Al Montoya (Florida Panthers)
Big Cubano
Ray Bishop, Bishop Designs

When presented with a team logo as bad as that of the Florida Panthers (5th worst in the league, to be exact) as an artist, you really don’t have a whole lot to work with. We’ve seen some rough interpretations of this snarly cat over the years, from Luongo’s pink panther to whatever kept happening on Scott Clemmensen’s head, but Ray Bishop showed us something a bit more artful on the Big Cubano’s mask this year.

This design is all about the logo, a concept we’ve seen many times before, but the painterly effects and clever backplate set this mask apart. Have you ever seen a sun smoking a Cuban cigar in front of an American flag on a goalie mask before? Yeah. Me neither.

Ben Scrivens (Edmonton Oilers)
Classic Oil Drop
Steve Nash, Eyecandyair

After joining the Oilers from Los Angeles last season, Scrivens chose to go graphic and old school for his sophomore season in Edmonton. Airbrushed by Steve Nash at Eyecandyair in Woodbridge, Ontario, this mask has an industrial feel, a nod to Edmonton’s oil boom years and the team’s identity. I’m a big fan of the simple, clean design aesthetic, as too much detail can be overwhelming and get lost on the ice (see Jose Theodore).

The crispness of the lines and sheen in the metallic effects on this mask are extremely impressive – worth a closer look – and the bold, graphic style will look great on the ice. Another job well done by Nash and The Professor.

What do you think? What’s your favourite new mask announced so far? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget about Part 1 and Part 2!