Behind the goalie mask

In hockey, six players of a team are always on the ice at the same time. Five of them look more or less the same, hammering shots of around 160 km/h at the opposing goal. But this blog is about that one crazy guy at the receiving end of the shot. The last line of defense. The rock in the surf. The wall. This blog is dedicated to all those crazy guys, each of whom has their own story to tell just like the designs on their masks do. This is the story of the person behind the goalie mask.

The myth about the weird guy

There’s an ancient myth in hockey that says we goalies are weird guys. I’ve been standing between the pipes since I was six years old. During this time, I’ve learned a lot about myself and one thing I can say for sure: we goalies are weird and have a lot of weird habits. I mean, who voluntarily stands in the way of a 160 km/h projectile just to prevent a goal? We do. Who’s talking to the goalposts like they’re our best friends? We do. Who has to tap each goalpost exactly 3 times with the bat before the start of every game? Guess what, we do. But it’s about a lot more than just weird habits. It’s about mental strength. For me, goalies are mental walls and only people with great mental strength can play this position. Why? Well, what happens when a field player makes a mistake? Usually not very much, because there are five more teammates on the ice who can fix the mistake. But what happens when a goalie makes a mistake? Then the red light goes on, the opponent gets a goal and the fans yell at you. As a goalie, you have to be able to handle this permanent pressure. You must always be convinced to stop the puck. After a mistake you have to find the focus again immediately. All in all, you need to have a rock-solid self-confidence on the ice. But it is a long and never-ending journey to acquire and maintain this mental strength.

The masked hero

If you take a closer look at a goalie on the ice, you might learn a lot about him or her. Maybe you can see the reasons why they are “taking one for the team” over and over again. Many goalies describe their reasons and their journey with an individual design on the goalie mask. For me these are not just simple designs, but real works of art. A lot of these express strong, deep, sad, but also funny emotions. They allow an insight into the personality of the goalie, his life and his very own story.

“Give a man a mask and he’ll become his true self” (The Joker). Yes, that’s a quote from the Batman movie. And yes, I like Batman. But it fits very well in this context. Because a goalie speaks through the design of his mask and thereby shows a part of his true self. Sometimes he speaks about himself, sometimes about others. Some goalies draw attention to diseases with their designs. Others pay tribute to the victims of natural disasters, terrorist attacks or accidents. And some others just want to show their funny side of life. Each and every design is as individual as the person behind the goalie mask.

That’s what my blog is all about. In the next weeks you will learn more about the personality of goalies. You will get insights into the world of the weird guys. And above all, you will learn more about the stories behind the mask. And probably read some more Batman quotes.

Sources
Header image quotefancy.com
Masks designed by airxess
Mask designed by daveart