These days Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price is sporting a new look.
Heading into the shortened 56 games 2021 NHL season, Price will be wearing a brand- new goalie mask designed by Calgary artist Jordon Bourgeault. This unique one- of -a -kind mask looks like what has been described as a ‘biochemical skull,’ which honors the great Canadiens goalies from the past.
Bourgeault, who operates J Bo Airbrush, went on to describe the mask in great detail.
“It’s sort of the history of all past Montreal Canadiens goalies and all of their information being pumped directly into the brain of Carey Price, which is sort of this half-human, half machine goalie beast. That’s the idea. He’s a machine/man to block pucks and he’s got all that past information helping him.”
He also went on to say,
“I really wanted to throw something Montreal Canadiens into it. It (mask) also runs up to where the camera system is, which is one of the eyes, the robotic-side eye. So, it’s almost like all of the skills and everything learned from all the goalies of the past are now transferred into him and making him the ultimate cyborg goalie.”
In total Bourgeault believes that he has spent an estimated 250 hours designing, prep and painting the mask. He used a matte finish on the human parts of the mask like bones, teeth and brains.
“My favorite part are those historical elements. The circuit board, which says Montreal Canadiens Goaltender Power System, has Patrick Roy, Jacques Plante, (Georges) Vezina, Ken Dryden and some of the wiring for that goes directly into the brain of Carey Price and also runs up to the camera eye. The camera eye is an acronym for Habs- which is Habitants Archival Blocking System. So he’s getting information from the past pumped to him to help him be this ultimate goalie. And in that camera eye you see the reflection of Rocket Richard. I just thought it was a cool way to tie in the Montreal Canadiens, especially since I knew there might be some haters out there because it wasn’t a giant Montreal Canadiens logo on the mask.”
On back of the mask, Bourgeault included the message, Made In Canada written in English and French around a maple leaf which symbolized the Canadiens logo in 1910.
“In as many little spots as I could without being too silly with it, I was trying to pump in as much of that old history as I could,” he said.
Reflecting on how he got the opportunity to design a new mask for Price, this Calgary based artist stated,
“He just sort of messaged me on Instagram randomly and said he had seen another mask I had done and said it was one of the coolest ones he’s ever seen. That was quite the compliment so I just kind of hit him up and said well let’s talk man. Maybe we can paint one for you.”
Price, who grew up in Ulkatcho First Nations in Northern British Columbia is ready to showcase his new mask in what he hopes will be a shortened season to remember, which will end with him and the Canadiens celebrating a Stanley Cup.
