The Seven is an arbitrary list of randomly connected hockey subjects that will run every Thursday on Puck Daddy. Agree to disagree.
Earlier this week, we learned that Jonathan Bernier was being asked to remove the Hollywood sign from his Los Angeles Kings goalie mask or else pay royalties for using it. Luckily, this all worked out for the best. We would have hated to see him forced to switch to DOLLYWOOD or something.
But it got us thinking: What are some of the best movie-inspired goalie masks we've seen, not just in the NHL but around the hockey world?
This one above, for example, was the work of Sylvie Marsolais and honors "Animal House" … with a twist. From the Goalie Guild:
"On the right side of the mask, I reproduced Belushi from the movie scene," Sylvie explained. "On the other side was the woman changing, but he asked me to do Megan Fox with a Boston Bruins jersey instead, with his nickname and number on the back of the jersey."
Wow.
Along with that classic, here are The Seven Hollywood movie-inspired goalie masks we seriously dig.
7. The Tampa Bay Lightning "SAW" masks
Remember this glorious (and gory) bit of controversy? In order to promote "SAW V", Tampa Bay Lightning co-owner Oren Koules had goalies Olaf Kolzig and Mike Smith become living billboards for the flick. On the Smith mask: "On one side of the mask, a picture of the creepy clown doll that taunts the movie's victims and police, on the other, the evil Jigsaw and his female accomplice, the architects of the bloody on-screen mayhem. Chains on both sides of the mask appear to pull apart a mouth." Yikes … but it was for charity, too.
6. Darth Gerber
While Wade Dubielewicz deserves credit for slapping a diminutive Jedi master on his mask, Martin Gerber went all the way with the "Darth Gerber" mask that incorporated the Sith Lord's mask design. Alas, he was also more the apprentice than the master during his career.
5. Evil Dead Jackets
While Fred Braithwaite deserves some love for his Freddy Krueger mask, Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets gets extra credit for (a) honor Sam Raimi's cult classic "Evil Dead" and giving it a Civil War twist. Demerits for not finding a way to get Ash on there.
4. Budaj Trouble in Little China
Most famous for having Ned Flanders on his goalie masks, Peter Budaj of the Montreal Canadiens incorporated "The Simpson's" character into a more adventurous design: Honoring the villains from John Carpenter's "Big Trouble In Little China", on a mask that needs 100 percent more Jack Burton. ("Who?" "Jack Burton … ME.")
3. Psycho Hirsch
Vancouver Canucks goalie Corey Hirsch's 1995 homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" was a symmetrical bit of horror coolness, with the Master of Suspense square in the middle of two Bates Motels. But did he wear it in the shower …?
2. The Kari Lehtonen Lifetime Achievement Award
The Dallas Stars netminder is, perhaps, the NHL's most pop culture-obsessed player, having placed everyone from Clint Eastwood to The Joker to The Bride from "Kill Bill" on his gear. But to put this in movie terms: His "Tombstone" mask remains his "Citizen Kane." This mask can be our huckleberry.
1. Tyler Plante's Will Ferrell Celebration
Finally … Great Odin's Raven, it's a Will Ferrell goalie mask!
From Let's Go Amerks in 2007:The helmet was painted by professional Dan Lessard who has painted a lot of goalie masks, check out his web site to see more of his work. Tylers favorite quote is, "if you ain't, first you're last." He said he hasn't quoted Will Ferrell at all during games, but we encourage him to do so.
The former Florida Panthers draft pick was still livin' the dream with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones this season. No word if he got around to making a "Step Brothers" mask. And by that we mean, please make a "Step Brothers" mask.
Previously on The 7
The 7 stop-motion animation hockey videos we find rather awesome
The 7 NHL trade deadline deals that directly led to Stanley Cup that season
The 7 NHL draft picks dealt at trade deadline that became significant players
The 7 defensemen that could make an NHL trade deadline impact
The 7 Ugliest NHL All-Star Game Jerseys
The 7 best hockey toy commercials
The 7 Ilya Bryzgalov HBO spinoffs we'd pay to see
The 7 Sean Avery fights that aren't completely terrible
The 7 great skater vs. goalie collisions that resulted in hilarity, chaos
The 7 NHL players with mind-blowing career plus/minus ratings
The 7 NHL journeymen nearing Mike Sillinger levels of relocation
The 7 neglected NHL fan pages we love
The 7 players we'd pay to watch in an NHL shootout
The 7 NHL veterans still livin' the dream in minor leagues
The 7 most heartwarming stories of the NHL preseason