New goalie gear sightings for 2015-16

[FerrisRox]

The problem with DaveArt and many of the mask designers out there now* is that they are overlooking the primary audience for these designs, which are the people attending the game and watching on TV.

This is where you are wrong.

The goalies are making masks that are very personal to them. When these cage/mask combos first rose to prominence in the late 1980's, the primary artist was a guy called Greg Harrison. He very much operated with that MO. He made very stark, distinct, bold designs that were simple, yet clever and could be enjoyed from a great distance. He made a lot of use of white space and negative space and created several iconic goalie masks.

Greg got pushed out of the game because he refused to license the actual team logos, so he wasn't able to put logos on his masks (which is how he came up with designs like Belfour's Eagle mask or Hayward's shark mouth, or Moog's bear mouth.) He also wouldn't pay to license other logos or characters (think Budaj's Ned Flanders, for example) and as more and more goalies wanted personalized details and teal logos, Harrison got pushed out of the business altogether.

Goalies today - and for a long time now - have no interest in the mask looking cool on television, or from the crowd. It's a very personal piece of their equipment and its a way for them to add personal flare to their mask. They want to have their favourite bands, movies, family members whatever worked into a concept. The masks for them - for the vast majority of them - is something that looks cool in their hands and I can't tell you how many times I've had one of them show me a really cool, little almost hidden detail. It's the very opposite of what you are talking about that delights them.

Dave is giving them what they want, he's not forcing a personal aesthetic upon them. If he did, he'd be out of business. If that's what goalies wanted, they'd be going to Hillier's designer. But Hillier is the exception, not the rule.

People are free to not like Dave's designs, but pretending they are being forced upon the goalies is just ridiculous and screams of people trying to pretend that their opinion is fact.

 

[FerrisRox]

If they like Bauer and want it painted, though, and DaveArt has the rights to all NHL Bauer mask designs, then they have to go with him. So to put it another way in the form of a question, are DaveArt's designs so prevalent in the NHL because goalies like his designs, or are his designs so common because many NHL goalies prefer Bauer masks.

This is not true.

Dave is the official in-hosue artist for Bauer, and goalies can use him as a one stop shop, getting their mask and their paint job in one order but Dave *does not* have the "rights" to anything and goalies do not have to use him as their artist if they use a Bauer mask (why on earth would Bauer do that? What would they gain out making such an idiotic business deal?)

Any NHL goalie can get a Bauer mask and have any artist they choose paint it.

 

[stepdad gaary]

That's not their logo anymore
http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/news/071615newlogo

my point was their logo is a skull (and the new one still is) so having a skull on your helmet is perfectly acceptable

 

[THall4]

Came to see new equipment (especially masks), instead found pages and pages of people complaining about DaveArt. Some people just need to get over it, obviously the goaltenders like his work so they go to him.

THANK YOU!! Im in this minority too..

I wanna see new goalie gear.

 

[MBTendy]

Lol at the people saying goalies don't care what's on their mask. Clearly you aren't a goalie if you're saying that. Good posts FerrisRox. Seriously, awesome.

 

[SUBdrewgANS]

None of us really know what goes on behind closed doors.. but this is my take on what happens.

Since DaveArt is the official in-house artist for Bauer, most goalies will use him out of convenience.

Most goalies are not artists so they don't necessarily have a tasteful eye, but they have an idea of what they want on the mask.

If you work in the art industry and you work with clients you know how this might go.
"I want a the team logo on the top, I want an airbrushing of so and so on the side, I want my name on the back plate and my number on the chin. In these colors."
Yeah it's what they want on it, but it's up to the designer to put all those elements together. DaveArt's aesthetic is not a very pleasing one, but it has all the elements the goaltender wanted on it.

As an artist you make suggestions based on what the client wants, and I am sure DaveArts goes something like this
"yeah man I can add all those elements, you know what else would be cool? if we could make the eyes of the logo glow, and we can also add a bunch of holographic special FX and make it a true DaveArt trademark helmet."

And most goalies will go with it.

I bet what happened with Richard Bachman's design was that Bachman came in with a mask of someone else who he liked (not necessarily an oilers mask) and was like I want something like this (large block colored logo cropped on the mask) and DaveArt says "oh yeah sure, I can also airbrush some legendary players in the oil drop and add a bunch of special FX all throughout the mask to make it look more 'modern'"

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

 

[aufheben]

This is where you are wrong.

The goalies are making masks that are very personal to them. When these cage/mask combos first rose to prominence in the late 1980's, the primary artist was a guy called Greg Harrison. He very much operated with that MO. He made very stark, distinct, bold designs that were simple, yet clever and could be enjoyed from a great distance. He made a lot of use of white space and negative space and created several iconic goalie masks.

Greg got pushed out of the game because he refused to license the actual team logos, so he wasn't able to put logos on his masks (which is how he came up with designs like Belfour's Eagle mask or Hayward's shark mouth, or Moog's bear mouth.) He also wouldn't pay to license other logos or characters (think Budaj's Ned Flanders, for example) and as more and more goalies wanted personalized details and teal logos, Harrison got pushed out of the business altogether.

Goalies today - and for a long time now - have no interest in the mask looking cool on television, or from the crowd. It's a very personal piece of their equipment and its a way for them to add personal flare to their mask. They want to have their favourite bands, movies, family members whatever worked into a concept. The masks for them - for the vast majority of them - is something that looks cool in their hands and I can't tell you how many times I've had one of them show me a really cool, little almost hidden detail. It's the very opposite of what you are talking about that delights them.

Dave is giving them what they want, he's not forcing a personal aesthetic upon them. If he did, he'd be out of business. If that's what goalies wanted, they'd be going to Hillier's designer. But Hillier is the exception, not the rule.

People are free to not like Dave's designs, but pretending they are being forced upon the goalies is just ridiculous and screams of people trying to pretend that their opinion is fact.

This is really interesting.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I like it, reminds me of Carey Price's WJC pads.

 

[Soundgarden]

Wow, those pads are pretty sweet, always like the unique ones.

 

[SUBdrewgANS]

I like it, reminds me of Carey Price's WJC pads.

Sorry, I don't recognize many NHL players outside their uniforms.

Oh and the beard doesn't help (NBC WAS RIGHT! )

who is this?

 

[CaseyMitts37]

Sorry, I don't recognize many NHL players outside their uniforms.

Oh and the beard doesn't help (NBC WAS RIGHT! )

who is this?

Scott Darling

 

[Siamese Dream]

Love these

Nice to see someone bucking the current trend in the NHL of having as much white and as little colour as possible on the pads

 

[Diamondillium]

Scott Darling is my darling.

Those are phenomenal.

 

[SUBdrewgANS]

Scott Darling

hmm, I think i would rather see the colors reversed, but still nice to see someone without white pads.

 

[Boy Hedican]

Pretty boring, IMO but at least its not busy. Glad to see its not #daveart #cradleofcreativity #glowtechfx though. I was hoping Hiller's original artist would have gotten the job, but that was just my dream.

 

[SladeWilson23]

Reminds me of this.

 

[Soundgarden]

Did Thibault wear red and black with the Hawks?

 

[Super Cake]

Craig Anderson ‏@CraigAnderson41 Aug 12
New pads in from @goaliesonly - loving the look, can’t wait to break them in!

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

THANK YOU!! Im in this minority too..

I wanna see new goalie gear.

As training camp edges closer, there will be lots more things to post.

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

Those Darling pads are awesome, as are Andy's. Brian's gear has really improved over the years.

 

[FerrisRox]

Since DaveArt is the official in-house artist for Bauer, most goalies will use him out of convenience.

Completely false.

Guys are acutely aware of who has a cool mask, who designed what and they are very particular about these details.

The goaltenders do not pay to have their masks designed, the team does. There is no "convenience" by having Dave do their mask. They are not the person on the phone ordering the mask or arranging for the painting. All of that is handled by the equipment managers. They pick the mask the want, they select the artist they want, and the collaborate with that artist on the design.

Some guys are sending sources photos, sketches, detailed ideas and concepts to the artists doing their masks. Acting like these guys are passively involved in the process or don't care who the artist is or what's on their mask is totally and completely nonsense.

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

Zach Fucale

 

[Lame Lambert]

Darling's and Anderson's pads are fantastic

 

[Honour Over Glory]

This is where you are wrong.

The goalies are making masks that are very personal to them. When these cage/mask combos first rose to prominence in the late 1980's, the primary artist was a guy called Greg Harrison. He very much operated with that MO. He made very stark, distinct, bold designs that were simple, yet clever and could be enjoyed from a great distance. He made a lot of use of white space and negative space and created several iconic goalie masks.

Greg got pushed out of the game because he refused to license the actual team logos, so he wasn't able to put logos on his masks (which is how he came up with designs like Belfour's Eagle mask or Hayward's shark mouth, or Moog's bear mouth.) He also wouldn't pay to license other logos or characters (think Budaj's Ned Flanders, for example) and as more and more goalies wanted personalized details and teal logos, Harrison got pushed out of the business altogether.

Goalies today - and for a long time now - have no interest in the mask looking cool on television, or from the crowd. It's a very personal piece of their equipment and its a way for them to add personal flare to their mask. They want to have their favourite bands, movies, family members whatever worked into a concept. The masks for them - for the vast majority of them - is something that looks cool in their hands and I can't tell you how many times I've had one of them show me a really cool, little almost hidden detail. It's the very opposite of what you are talking about that delights them.

Dave is giving them what they want, he's not forcing a personal aesthetic upon them. If he did, he'd be out of business. If that's what goalies wanted, they'd be going to Hillier's designer. But Hillier is the exception, not the rule.

People are free to not like Dave's designs, but pretending they are being forced upon the goalies is just ridiculous and screams of people trying to pretend that their opinion is fact.

I don't see it as being forced on the goaltenders. I think most just know the guy because of someone on the team that had it and so forth.

If there was someone that was going to step up and make better stuff, awesome, but I guess until then we're stuck with lens flare all over the place.