Goaltenders often get the most creative with their masks. There have been some incredible masks to come out of the NHL, but Henrik Lundqvist has stepped up the goaltender game by jazzing up his pads.
On Monday, the Rangers revealed their starting goaltender’s new pads, and safe to say they are head and shoulders above the rest in the NHL:
at @HLundqvist30's new #NYR pads!! ❤️ #repost pic.twitter.com/pRMzcQmeni
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 31, 2017
Talk about sharp! The design is clearly inspired by the Rangers’ ”Statue of Liberty” jerseys that the team wore for 10 years in the late 1990s to mid-2000s. The design also brings New York’s skyline into the mix at the bottom of the pads. While the detail behind the Statue of Liberty almost looks like a maple leaf, it’s most definitely in reference to Lundqvist’s nickname as “The King” of New York.
We’ve seen some real creative uses of goaltender pads in the past, but this is the first time in recent memory a netminder has used his pads for art like he does with his mask. Could this be the start of a wonderful new trend in the NHL? We can only hope!