As many of you know by now just by reading this rag, one of the things that I cover that is hockey related is unusual jerseys. What you may not know is what it was that got me into hockey in the first place. Today, you will get to see an example of what got me into hockey. For years, the one thing that has always fascinated me has been the goalie masks. I've always wanted one in the style that best expresses who I am, and in many respects, that is exactly what a goalie mask is about. Sure, it has to fit within the confines of the team that you play for, but other than color scheme, the mask is about you, Mr. Flaky Goalie (and I mean that with respect, as I think of myself as one, even though I'm a buck-forty with a brick in the pocket).
So, what would be the best mask to begin this discussion? Why, it would be what you see in the picture above. When the San Jose Sharks began play in 1991, their color scheme of black and teal didn't exactly intimidate opposing players. So, in an attempt to give the team identity, goalie Brian Hayward decided to don this beauty you see here. It looks like he's peering from the mouth of a shark, which was one of the few highlights of that season, as it didn't help him with his game that year. To be fair, many expansion teams rarely ever do well in their first years in existence. Hayward had a so-so career (to put it politely), but the mask lives on in the annals of great hockey masks. It sparked the beginning of the modern day goalie mask designs, as many others have followed suit.
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