The Winter Classic is nearly here! All eyes will be on the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins, when they face off at Notre Dame Stadium on January 1st. And that, of course, means players have to get their gear right for the spotlight.
Blackhawks goalie Cam Ward unveiled the sweet mask that he’ll be rocking for the game, which prominently includes a tribute to Charlie Gardiner, the Hall of Fame goalie who captained the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 1934.
A two-time Vezina winner, Gardiner is also the only NHL goalie to captain a Stanley Cup victor (since the 1948-49 season, the NHL has prohibited teams from selecting goalies as captains, thanks to a fun bit of trivia known as the Durnan Rule). During his last few seasons in the NHL and most prominently the 1934 playoffs, Gardiner suffered from tonsillitis and would unfortunately pass away in the ensuing offseason at the age of 29. He was one of the inaugural class of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945.
Ward’s mask also includes the Notre Dame Fighting Irish logo, as a nod to the hosting venue for the Winter Classic, as well “Wardo” across the bottom. Good guy, that Wardo.
Since joining the Blackhawks in the offseason, Ward has been known to rock some sweet buckets with his new team — the first design he revealed in August was an absolute beauty.
