Through the years, Colorado Avalanche goaltenders would use the expected regional iconography for their masks: snow, icicles, mountain ranges. (Save for Peter Budaj, of course, who preferred video game characters and Ned Flanders.)
Which is why we celebrate the new mask for Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov, which offers a unique spin on the snowbound imagery with an angry Commando Yeti firing a snowball bazooka ….
… at an angry snowman who is firing a carrot bazooka.
Wow. This is a like a waking nightmare you'd have after getting drunk on a ski trip and falling asleep in an outdoor hot tub.
The great mask artist Dave Gunnarsson explains the inspiration for "Action in the Rocky Mountains:
"Semyon wanted something action packed with a lot of cool details, and something different... I started to do some sketches...and these dudes started to come to life in my sketches... So why not a cool war between Yeti dudes and Frosty dudes?!
"The mask is hit by a snowball right in the middle of the face, and after that it's action all over the mask! Watch out...these characters are some pretty hi tech dudes...not only do they throw snowballs... No, this Yeti he has a Snowball bazooka...and of course, Frosty he has a carrot bazooka..."
Oh, so all that white stuff on the side of his mask is a splattered snowball? Because he had the same effect on his Winter Classic mask and we thought it sort of looked like someone … er … uh … sneezed in a pile of Cool Whip all over Varly's mask. Yeah. That's it. Sneezed in Cool Whip (laughs nervously, wipes brow) …