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Tampa Bay Lightning goalies are getting new masks for the upcoming season

By Chase Kimball

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 07: Tampa Bay Lightning Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) following the action during the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 7, 2017, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 07: Tampa Bay Lightning Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) following the action during the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 7, 2017, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Both Andrei Vasilevskiy and Peter Budaj are getting custom new masks, courtesy of Dave Gunnarsson and Sylabrush, for the upcoming 2017-18 season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have become famous for cool-looking and innovative goalie mask designs. Between Nikolai Khabibulin‘s ‘Bulin Wall, Ben Bishop‘s Tron mask, and even Mike Smith‘s SAW mask, the Bolts have a tradition of unique and interesting designs.

Last season, Andrei Vasilevskiy was one of the two goalies in the entire NHL to debut a color changing mask. The color-change effect, courtesy of Sylabrush’s Subzero paint, is activated by the cold, and when cold, a new design will be revealed.

Once again, Vasilevskiy’s mask will feature the color-change effect. The Sylabrush team designed Vasilevskiy’s last mask, and as it was a hit with Tampa Bay Lightning fans and across the league, there weren’t a lot of changes were made.

The feature of the mask is still the large lightning-fused lion on top (a literal Thundercat), and his number, 88, on the chin.  The block letter BOLTS and palm trees on both sides are also making a return this year.  The biggest difference between this year’s mask and last year’s design is the addition of more silver and more Subzero color-changing paint.

Vasilevskiy’s new design will feature three different locations that will change their design, including the Bolt’s a 25th-anniversary logo.

Here’s the full-color change effect in action:

Tampa Bay Lightning backup Peter Budaj also got a new mask, this one courtesy of Dave Gunnarsson at DaveArt.

Early on in his career, Budaj got the nickname of Ned Flanders, after the character from the long running cartoon, The Simpsons. That nickname has since stuck and has now followed him to Tampa.

While the appearance might not be as major as the Thor Flanders featured on his last mask, Flanders is still present in Budaj’s new design. This time, he is made of a lightning outline and is on his chin.


The main feature of this new mask, however, is the Lightning’s 25th-anniversary logo.

Needless to say, both Lightning goaltenders will be looking (and hopefully playing) like all-stars this season.

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The best feature of both new masks is how representative they are of the individual goaltenders and team alike.  A lot of personalization and detail went into the making of both masks. The artists at both DaveArt and Sylabrush knocked their projects out of the park. The only thing better than seeing the new masks now will be seeing the new masks on the ice this season.

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