3 Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender masks that are unforgettable
By Kyle McKenna
The Pittsburgh Penguins had three goaltenders with unforgettable masks and they were some of the best in NHL history.
The Pittsburgh Penguins not only entail a rich history of awesome hockey sweaters and collecting Stanley Cup rings over the past three decades, but the club’s goaltenders seem to always wear awesome gear.
The black, gold and white color scheme combined with the Penguin logo has always created endless and fashionable possibilities for goaltenders and specifically their masks.
Let’s revisit three unforgettable Pittsburgh Penguins masks.
Pittsburgh Penguins most unforgettable goalie masks
Johan Hedberg
The 2000-01 campaign was memorable for Pittsburgh and for various reasons. Not only did the great Mario Lemieux return and help the Pens turn around their season, but a goaltender took the Steel City by storm in surprising fashion.
Pittsburgh marched into the playoffs down the stretch with a 6-1-0-1 record and in large thanks to goaltender Johan Hedberg. The Swedish native never strapped on the pads for an NHL contest until later that season and “Moose” transformed into the starter for the postseason. Keep in mind that Hedberg posted a 7-1-1-0 record.
Sure, fans embraced his nickname by chanting and elongated “Moose” cheer after each save, but his mask goes down as one the most unforgettable in Penguins’ history. Prior to joining the Penguins, Hedberg skated in the International Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose which explained why he wore the unique design pictured above.
No. 1 between the pipes decided to keep his powder blue Manitoba-themed masked and it was truly hit amongst all NHL fans. Fans likely recall Pittsburgh’s run to the Eastern Conference final that spring and picture stars like Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Kovalev and then Moose’s powder blue mask.
Unfortunately, Hedberg painted his Moose-themed mask with Penguins’ colors the following season, and Pittsburgh finished in last place for the Atlantic Division. Perhaps the original mask was good luck, no?