Devan Dubnyk’s New Mask Has Giraffes

The Arizona Coyotes’ newest netminder has revealed his mask design- and personally, I think it’s incredibly awesome, if a little weird.

Jan 26, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Nashville Predators goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) warms up against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

I held off on judging the new mask for a while, just because I wanted to get used to it. At first, I kind of hated it- the back seemed a little haphazard, if sentimental, and I wasn’t a fan of the giraffes.

Seriously, the guy has giraffes on his mask.

After I let the whole thing settle in, though, it’s kind of grown on me. Here’s the breakdown of the whole mask:

• The logo is present, on the top of the mask (right where Wile E. Coyote is splashed across starter Mike Smith’s own mask design). Points deducted for unoriginality, but at least the new logo is fierce enough without any variations.
• There are two giraffes, depicted as fierce Wild-West outlaws, flanking the Coyotes logo on either side of the mask. These are a staple for the six-foot-six netminder, and I’m glad he made them thematic with the rest of the mask.
• The back of the mask pays tribute to members of Dubnyk’s family, including his mother. His infant son, Nathaniel, serves as the traditional extra eyes on the back of the mask. Clever idea, but I think the back as a whole looks a bit like the start to someone’s tattoo sleeve.
• Dubnyk’s initials are hammered into the front of the mask horseshoe-style, in keeping with the Western theme of the whole mask.

Not the fiercest mask I’ve ever seen, but I give him props for keeping it thematic. The mask was designed by Swedish artist David Gunnarsson- I think some other netminders could do with studying this particular artist’s handiwork a bit.