The Anaheim Ducks goaltenders have had a history of masks that have served to represent the man between the pipes. Our resident goaltender, Jake Robles, is using his expertise about these masked men to kickstart our new Monday feature.
Today here at Pucks Of A Feather, I’m proud to introduce a new little mini-series all about the various goalie masks worn by goaltenders throughout Anaheim Ducks history called Mask Mondays! I dropped the ball just a bit so this first part will go up on Tuesday, but let me explain.
The concept is simple; over the next couple weeks, I’ll be showcasing some of my favorite masks that have been painted and worn over the years by Anaheim Ducks goaltenders of the past and present.
Then, I will try my best to explain why I like them so much. Masks will be judged by the complexity of the overall design. They will also be judged on how well they mesh with the colors from the uniform(s) the goaltender wore that season, along with their other equipment and any little extra tidbits like reoccurring themes or personal details that may be present.
Each mask will be given a rating out of five stars at the end of the article. These are all opinions for the sake of having some fun and taking a look back at some of the personalities between the pipes.
Today’s first entry is Frederik Andersen‘s Lego Duckman Mask from the 2015-2016 season!
Frederik Andersen’s Overall Design
My inner child has always enjoyed the masks Andersen has worn, both as with the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs. The use of the Lego characters is 100% the reason why. I’ll always feel an emotional attachment to legos, as they were a huge part of my childhood so this style of mask will always be a favorite.
It’s not overly complex in design. A Lego Batman figure is featured on both sides of the mask sporting Ducks logos and as a silhouette down on the chin. The cheeks feature a mirrored image of the Mighty Ducks logo wearing a Batman Cowl.
The Mighty Duck logo is also featured front and center on the forehead of the mask. Last but not least, an orange wall of Lego bricks, along with a few floating in the empty spaces of the mask round out this wonderful mask painted by Dave Gunnarsson of DaveArt.
Freddie is always in great hands having Dave as his artist. He’s always finding new techniques and technologies to implement on his creations. This mask featured just one, being Dave’s Glow Tech F.X. technique.
All the Batman’s featured on the mask would be surrounded by a white glow when in the dark. I love this addition because it fits Batman’s character and it also looks nice and clean.
How it Blends With the Uniform
This is where I have one of my only gripes with this mask. Andersen wore two different setups that season and they both were very different. He started in a set of Bauer NGX’s but moved to Bauer’s newest line, the OD1N’s, for the rest of the season.
There wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with either set but the OD1N design specifically didn’t provide much room for creativity. The only portions of the pads that goalies would color was a slanted portion on the outer edges of the pads.
It’s not horrible, but it’s one of those things that throws off the whole look. You have a really bright and vibrant mask that just doesn’t fit well with the small areas that are colored with the black OD1N graphics. That really comes down to the choice in pads than the mask but for the sake of my judgment, I have to knock it a bit.
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As for the NGX’s, Andersen didn’t wear them too long so it’s not really fair to judge the mask alongside that set. Besides that, the mask meshed really well with all three jerseys Anaheim wore that season.
Extra Tidbits and Reoccurring Themes
There is only one thing to mention here and it’s obvious. Andersen uses the Lego theme quite often being a native of Denmark, where legos were created. To this day, the majority of the masks he has painted by Dave Gunnarsson feature the Lego Batman or legos in general in some capacity.
Overall Grade
Overall, I give the Lego Duckman a four out of five-star rating. My only gripe lies with how the mask looked with the pad setup Freddie was rocking. It was a weird design that I’m glad Bauer did away with.
I think our colors are just hard to use for pads like the OD1N’s that have minimal customization options. All in all, it’s a small thing for me personally. I like when a goalie is color coordinated head to toe, but it doesn’t take away from how sharp the graphics are.
The goalie world is lucky to have an artist like Dave Gunnarsson that’s always pumping out great masks like this one. He has a real eye for bringing a goalie’s wildest ideas to life.
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