Devan Dubnyk has set the crossbar high for Goalie masks in the State of Hockey.
You might be able to tell from some of my posts that I really like goalie masks. Previously, we’ve shown you Niklas Backstrom’s classic green bucket and Darcy Kuemper’s werewolf themed mask. Now, Devan Dubnyk joins the fray with a lumberjack giraffe themed mask. I gotta say, this one is my favorite. You can see what he sported in his first 8 games, which looks to be a wrap over his Arizona Coyotes mask. Dubnyk’s mask with the Coyotes featured giraffes dressed as Wyatt Earp. Here’s a video of Dubnyk describing his new mask to the media, courtesy of the Minnesota Wild website.
Coming to us once again from the phenomenal artist David Gunnarsson at DAVEART, Dubnyk’s mask is titled “Giraffe lumberjack hockey in the Minnesota Forests” Featuring giraffes on either side of a white cage, the primarily green mask also has a white wooden facade on the front, reminiscent of a cabin door. “DD” for Devan Dubnyk rests just above the chin plate.
So, why giraffes? In an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Michael Russo on Minnesota’s 100.3 F.M. radio station, Dubnyk explains that he got the nickname when he played junior hockey with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League.
The Wild’s beast head logo sits prominently at the top of the cage. In true DAVEART style, holographs of the Wild’s primary and secondary logo are hidden on the sides of the mask.
The back of Dunyk’s mask features a picture of his son Nathaniel as well as his initials and date of birth. On the left side of the back plate is a pink ribbon and the word “mom” in honor of his mother Barb Dubnyk. Devan’s mother is a breast cancer survivor.
You can check out Dubnyk’s last mask thanks to our friends at Howlin’ Hockey.
Don’t forget to follow mask artist David Gunnarsson on Instagram
So, who’s got the best mask on the team? Let us know in the comments below!