Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Goalies Discuss Their New Masks
2/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 23, 2011
By Michael Caples, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
A hockey goaltender's mask is something unmatched in the realm of sports. It is the rare space where an athlete can represent himself with more than just colors and different brand logos. While the primary function is to protect him from the frozen piece of rubber moving at a tremendous speed his way, the goalie mask has also become a canvas for these athletes to display incredible works of art.
For freshman goaltender Will Yanakeff, having a chance to design his first mask as a member of the Spartans and having it arrive in January was a great experience.
"It's a fun process, because it's a part of you, it's a part of your personality," the Jerome, Mich. native said. "It's what you like, what you think is cool, and not only that, it's part of the designer's personality, too. You give them ideas, but ultimately it's them designing it. So it's exciting when you get it back and you see just the different things, the small things that he adds to it, and it's just really exciting to get a new mask like this."
Letting the designer have some say in the final outcome was easy for Yanakeff and his fellow netminders, Drew Palmisano and Kyle McMahon. The MSU goaltenders had their masks designed by Ray Bishop, a Michigan-based artist who has worked on masks worn by the likes of Red Wing goalie Jimmy Howard and former Spartan and Olympic medalist Ryan Miller.
Palmisano, the Spartans' junior goaltender, said that he has felt more comfortable in customizing his mask each year he has spent in East Lansing.
"I think I was on the same boat as Will my freshman year, just coming in here, not knowing too much about everything," Palmisano said. "I just wanted to get a basic design down. I got a little bit more comfortable after my first year, so I talked to Bishop, added things on. He's a great designer - most of this design was him - and I just told him a couple things I wanted to add into it. He did a good job of incorporating what I wanted into it to add a personal touch for myself."
While all three goaltenders have masks that display MSU's history and tradition, Palmisano, a Ann Arbor native, has plenty of features that represent more than just Spartans hockey. On the back of his mask, the junior goaltender has the initials of his late grandfather, a palm tree and his nickname `Palmy', and an evergreen tree to represent the bond he formed with his roommates at their house on Forest Street last season. And on the front of his mask, inside the eyes of the Sparty head, Palmisano displays the number `22' in tribute to Brandon Gordon, a devoted Spartan fan who passed away in 2009.
"It's a tradition here to have some sort of Sparty guy looking down, I think it looks cool," Palmisano said. "And in his eyes, I did something special for Brandon, who passed away my freshman year. He inspired the Shoot For The Cure, so it's just something to remember him, let him know that he's always on our minds."
The fact that he has a rare opportunity to decorate his mask is something that has not been lost to junior Kyle McMahon. The Spartan goaltender admitted that it is strange, yet special at the same time.
"It is kind of a peculiar thing in sports, but I just think it's just something really unique for goalies," said the native of Broomfield, Colo. "It's kind of a position that you don't see in many other sports. Some people compare it to a quarterback or a catcher but really we're kind of doing our own thing apart from the team. While it is a team sport, we're not getting up in the play and all those things, so it is kind of an individual aspect within a team sport, and I couldn't really pinpoint a one thing that's made it so unique, it's just kind of evolved over a long time, and I'm just glad to be a part of it."
McMahon said the experience of creating his own mask is even more enjoyable since the non-goaltender members of the Spartans are jealous.
"Whenever a new mask comes in, they go `oh let me check it out,' `oh that's sweet,'" McMahon said. "I think it would be kind of crazy to see everybody on the bench with a different kind of mask, but it is pretty nice to be able to say that you're one of three guys on a team who gets to do this, it's a pretty special deal."
And despite not receiving the mask until after January, Yanakeff is still thrilled to have a goalie mask he can call his own this season.
"It's definitely really cool, and it's meaningful," the freshman goaltender said. "I know a lot of people put a lot of meaning into their mask and a lot of personal things. It's really cool, it's a chance for people to show their true personality and what they like, and it's cool for any goalie to be able to design a mask like this."
