The 10 Wildest NHL Goalie Masks of All Time, Ranked

When Jacques Plante wore a plain fiberglass mask in 1959, nobody thought of it as a canvas. A decade later, goalies were painting stitches, snarling cats, and skulls on their faces. Today, mask art is a full-blown industry, and NHL.com's all-time mask gallery shows how far it has come.

My criteria are simple: creativity, visual punch, originality, and cultural staying power. Fair warning: I review horror novels on the side, so I have a soft spot for anything with teeth.

The 10 Coolest NHL Goalie Masks, Ranked

10. Brian Hayward, San Jose Sharks (early 1990s)

Hayward's mask turned the cage into a shark's open jaw, so it looked like he was being swallowed every time he squared up to a shooter. He was in net for the Sharks' first regular-season win, and the franchise has paid tribute to the design on prospect masks since.

9. Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals (1998)

Kolzig's nickname was "Godzilla," so his mask gave him the full kaiju treatment. It's goofy in the best way, and it debuted the season Kolzig backstopped Washington to its first Stanley Cup Final. Any mask that makes me want to rewatch the original Godzilla earns a spot.

8. Johan Hedberg, Pittsburgh Penguins (2001)

Hedberg was traded to Pittsburgh from the AHL's Manitoba Moose and didn't have time to repaint his mask, so he wore the moose. The name stuck, and so did the cartoon moose, which followed him from team to team in new outfits and poses. It also launched painter David Gunnarsson, who became the league's most prolific mask artist.

7. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning (2026 Stadium Series)

Every Vasilevskiy mask features a lion for "The Big Cat." For Tampa Bay's first outdoor game, artist Sylvie Marsolais gave that lion a Russian fur hat and round sunglasses, then added snow-covered palm trees, a nesting doll, and Moscow monuments.

6. Ed Belfour, Chicago Blackhawks (early 1990s)

As a Chicagoan, I'm contractually obligated to include this one. Belfour's eagle started with a Greg Harrison paint job in Chicago, inspired by British ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards. The bird followed Belfour to four more teams, making it one of the first true signature masks. It still looks perfect on an Original Six sweater.

5. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (2021)

Price turned himself into a cyborg. Calgary artist Jordon Bourgeault spent more than 250 hours on this "biomechanical skull," which wires a circuit board labeled with Plante, Dryden, and Roy straight into Price's brain. The robotic eye even reflects Maurice Richard. It was Bourgeault's first NHL mask, and it won the league's fan vote that year.

4. Gilles Gratton, New York Rangers (1976-77)

Gratton's snarling big cat is so famous that people still argue whether it's a tiger or a lion. Most accounts, including Gratton's own, say lion, which fits a guy whose zodiac sign was Leo. Maker Greg Harrison reportedly charged $300. Gratton, nicknamed "Gratoony the Loony," growled and hissed at opponents who got too close.

3. Curtis Joseph, Toronto Maple Leafs (2000)

A goalie nicknamed after a Stephen King novel wearing a rabid dog on his face? Sold. Joseph's Cujo masks put a snarling dog across the top of the helmet, fangs first. Frank Cipra is most often credited with the art. As a King fan, this is my personal favorite, even if I can't quite justify putting it higher.

2. Gary Bromley, Vancouver Canucks (1980)

The scariest mask ever made, and it isn't close. Bromley, nicknamed "Bones," wore a lifelike skull painted by Greg Harrison, complete with hollow eye sockets and a grinning jaw. It belongs on a horror paperback cover from 1980, which is the highest compliment I can give.

1. Gerry Cheevers, Boston Bruins (late 1960s to 1970s)

Every mask on this list owes Cheevers a thank-you note. After taking a shot to the face in a 1967 practice, he had trainer John Forristall draw stitches where the puck hit, then kept adding more with every impact. It was the moment goalies realized their masks could say something.

The Final Save

Yes, Ken Dryden's target mask deserves a mention, and I'll hear about leaving it off. But the best masks tell you who's behind them before the puck drops. If you're betting on the NHL, you can't price in a cool mask. You can still admire one.