I figured that since the team and the Buffalo News seemed very interested in the details on my new mask I should at least put something a little more detailed and "Official" out there for all the fans.

First off... The design is all about doing something different and letting my artist, Ray Bishop, show off a little bit... I really wanted to do something that didn't involve all the same design elements that every goalie who has played in Buffalo has used. This mask was about having some fun. I have had the same mask for 7 years with only the colors changing and some small artistic tweaks... I haven't decided whether to make this a permanent change because I really am partial to my normal mask, but it is nice to try something new.

The mask is inspired by Japanese tattoos but I didn't not mean for it to be traditional, although the bright colors are fairly common in the main characters of tattoo. The main difference with my mask is the background is lighter than most tattoos in this style. Usually the background is grey or black. The mask includes a dragon, a tiger and a koi fish. Each of these have some meaning when used in tattoos... I will try to touch on a little bit of each.

The dragon surrounded by waves of water is a theme in many tattoos I used as inspiration. In Japanese culture the dragon is not some fire breathing monster... It is a water dwelling creature that was respected and admired because of it's influence on the rice crop and harvests. It is a symbol of luck.

The tiger was a complement to the dragon... Yin and yang type thing. In my research I came across some explanation of a tattoo that explained that a tiger in the air and a dragon in the water was a symbol of strength. It could all be bull, but I thought it would be fun to use a tiger but have it striped like our mascot, "Sabretooth." If you look closely you can see that the tiger has blue stripes. I figured no one had really used our mascot on a goalie mask yet and it would be a way to tie in a team symbol... Just not what someone would expect.

The koi fish on the chin is a symbol of strength and perseverance. I actually didn't plan on that... Ray wanted to add that after doing some research of his own to add another character to the mask.

As for the Japanese symbols on the top... I have no clue what specific form of Japanese characters they are. My brother, Bryce, studied Japanese for a few years and even spent some time in Japan for a couple summers. I will let you in on part of the secret... It is in reference to a college teammate who helped me with my career. Bryce translated the phrase and then abbreviated it. Best I can do... Need to keep some things personal.

On the back plate is a pierced heart tattoo with my cousin Matt's nickname. I had Ray copy the Sailor Jerry style and use a sabre to pierce the heart. Most people will tell you that the tattoo represents a deep sorrow or a long struggle... I thought it was the appropriate version to use because if I wasn't such a wimp when it comes to getting some ink that would be the kind I would get.

Think that covers about everything... Hope everyone enjoys something a little different. I think Ray did a great job.

I will do a season wrap up in a few days. I know that most of the die hard Buffalo fans are pretty disappointed with the fact that we are missing out on spring time hockey... Trust me, I am too.